Kolkata: Springing a surprise appropriate sooner than the Election Commission (EC) sounded Assembly pollbugle in West Bengal on Sunday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee launched the instantaneous birth of critical-awaited dearness allowance (DA) arrears to her authorities staff and a ₹500 monthly allowance-hike for priests and muzzeins to drag their votes.
The Trinamul Congress supremo’s masterstroke thru the abet-to-abet bulletins within a span of half an hour no longer only stumped the BJP however also reflected her try to build the final nail in the coffin of her predominant opposition in the polls. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar also asserted in Contemporary Delhi that her steps, when requested about their validity, would no longer diagram below the mannequin code of behavior of the EC as they had been taken earlier than the pollannouncement at 4 pm.
At 2.40 pm, Ms Banerjee posted on X-take care of, “I’m satisfied to jabber an expand of ₹500 in the monthly honorariums prolonged to our purohits and muezzins, whose carrier sustains the non secular and social lifetime of our communities. With this revision, they’ll now gather ₹2,000 per thirty days. At the the same time, all recent capabilities that were duly submitted by purohits and muezzins accept as true with also been current by the Thunder Authorities.”
She added, “We rob satisfaction in nurturing an ambiance the build every community and each tradition is valued and bolstered. Our endeavour stays to perform sure the custodians of our rich non secular heritage gather the recognition and pork up they deserve.” The CM revealed her 2d trump card at 3.05 pm.
She said, “I’m satisfied to jabber that our Ma-Mati-Manush authorities has delivered on its promise to all its staff and pensioners, and to lakhs of lecturers and non-educating staff of our academic establishments, to boot to staff/ pensioners of our other grant-in-assist establishments worship panchayats, municipal our bodies, other native our bodies and many others. They’re going to birth receiving their ROPA 2009 DA arrears from March 2026 onwards as per the modalities detailed out in the Notifications issued by our Finance Division.”
Vastly a good deal surprised, chief of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari said, “What a JOKE ! Mamata Banerjee without warning remembers lakhs of staff, pensioners, lecturers and non-educating staff appropriate MINUTES sooner than the Election Commission declares polldates? ROPA 2009 DA arrears “from March 2026 onwards”? After years of looting the order treasury and dishonest them blind, right here’s your decided final-minute pollgimmick?”
He on the unreal hand claimed, “Not a single paisa will if truth be told be launched. Zero accountability, zero funds, zero supply – only empty notifications from your Finance Division to fool the Folks one final time. Classic TMC election drama. West Bengal is watching. This time the droll memoir is on you Mamata Banerjee…”
