Mamata Banerjee raises month-to-month honorarium for clergymen, muezzins by Rs 500 forward of EC’s ballot schedule announcement | India Information

NEW DELHI: Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday introduced a Rs 500 enhance within the month-to-month honorarium for clergymen and muezzins in West Bengal, hours earlier than the Election Fee is scheduled to announce the ballot dates for meeting elections in 4 ballot sure states and the Union Territory of Puducherry. She additionally introduced the approval of all contemporary functions by the AITC led state authorities.The announcement got here forward of the enforcement of the Mannequin Code of Conduct, which comes into impact as soon as the election schedule is asserted and which is able to bar governments from making new coverage bulletins or monetary commitments that would affect voters.

In a put up on X, Banerjee stated the state authorities had determined to extend the month-to-month honorarium for clergymen (purohits) and muezzins by Rs 500.“I’m happy to announce a rise of Rs 500 within the month-to-month honorariums prolonged to our purohits and muezzins, whose service sustains the non secular and social lifetime of our communities. With this revision, they’ll now obtain Rs 2,000 per thirty days.On the similar time, all contemporary functions which were duly submitted by purohits and muezzins have additionally been permitted by the State Authorities”, the West Bengal CM wrote in a put up on X.With the revision, the month-to-month fee for each teams will enhance to Rs 2,000. The chief minister additional added that every one new functions submitted by clergymen and muezzins in search of the honorarium have been permitted by the state authorities.Banerjee stated the transfer displays the federal government’s dedication to recognising the position performed by spiritual functionaries in society.“We take satisfaction in nurturing an atmosphere the place each neighborhood and each custom is valued and strengthened,” she wrote, including that the federal government’s endeavour is to make sure that those that safeguard the state’s non secular traditions obtain due recognition and assist”, she wrote.Mamata Banerjee additionally introduced in a separate put up that the West Bengal authorities will start disbursing pending dearness allowance (DA) arrears beneath ROPA 2009 to workers and pensioners from March 2026.In a put up on X, the West Bengal chief minister stated the choice fulfils a dedication made by the state authorities to its workers in addition to employees of academic and different grant-in-aid establishments.“I’m glad to announce that our Ma-Mati-Manush authorities has delivered on its promise to all its workers and pensioners, and to lakhs of academics and non-teaching employees of our instructional establishments, in addition to workers/pensioners of our different grant-in-aid establishments like panchayats, municipal our bodies, different native our bodies and many others,” she wrote.She added that the funds will start from subsequent month in step with the modalities notified by the state finance division.“They’ll begin receiving their ROPA 2009 DA arrears from March 2026 onwards as per the modalities detailed out within the Notifications issued by our Finance Division.”The bulletins got here shortly earlier than the ballot panel, led by chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and comprising election commissioners Sukbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, is predicted to announce the schedule for the meeting elections in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry at a press convention in New Delhi at 4 pm.