WB Pension DR Arrears: Is Your Payout Finally Here?

West Bengal government will pay 50% of pending Dearness Relief arrears to state pensioners in Kolkata as an interim step. If you or a family member is a retired state government employee, here is what this means and what to do next.

Here's what happened: West Bengal government announced release of 50% of estimated Dearness Relief arrears to state pensioners in the Kolkata municipal area as an interim measure.. Dearness Relief is a periodic inflation-linked top-up on pensions — similar to DA for serving employees — and arrears build up when revisions are delayed.. This partial release is meant to provide immediate financial relief to retirees while the full calculation and formal revision process is still ongoing..

What you should do: Check your pension passbook or bank statement this month to confirm the arrear credit has been deposited into your account.. Contact your district treasury office or pension disbursing bank branch if payment is not received within 30 days of the official order date.. Calculate your expected full arrear amount using your basic pension and the applicable DR percentage difference — so you know what the remaining 50% should look like..

Pro tip: DR arrears received as a lump sum are fully taxable in the year of receipt — but you can claim relief under Section 89(1) of the Income Tax Act by filing Form 10E before submitting your ITR, which can significantly reduce your tax burden.