NEW DELHI,6 Feb 2026 : In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of India has directed the West Bengal government to immediately release 25 per cent of the outstanding Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears to its employees.
Emphasising that the state must act as a Model Employer, a bench comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra underscored the necessity of ensuring justice for the workforce.
To oversee the process, the Court has constituted a committee headed by former Supreme Court Justice Indu Malhotra, Justice Tilak Singh Chauhan, and Justice Gautam Maghuria. This committee is tasked with determining the total arrear amount and a definitive payment schedule by March 6.
According to the court’s timeline, the first installment of the remaining 75 per cent must be cleared by March 31, with a comprehensive compliance report due by April 15, the date of the next hearing.
The dispute, which spans arrears from 2008 to 2019, currently leaves a 40 per cent DA gap between state and central government employees. This verdict is expected to benefit approximately 12 lakh current and retired employees, including those who retired while the litigation was pending.
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