WB govt. Staff hail court order directing State to pay 25% DA arrears
The West Bengal Government challenged a Calcutta High Court order in May 2022 that directed payment of DA, stating that DA is not a right. The matter is now being heard before the Supreme Court.
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'The Supreme Court order has recognised our demand that DA is a legally enforceable right. We have been protesting for almost 918 days now,' Bhaskar Ghosh, leader of Sangrami Joutho Manch, a collective of State Government employees' unions, told The Hindu.
Mr. Ghosh said about 12 lakh employees and pensioners will benefit. The State Government Employees' Association urged the Mamata Banerjee government not to review the order and spend taxpayers' money. The Sangrami Joutho Manch has held several protests demanding DA at par with Central Government employees.
Payment in three months
Justices Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta issued an interim order directing West Bengal to make the payment within three months and posted the matter to be heard next in August. The West Bengal Government pays about 18% of wages as DA whereas Central Government employees receive over 55%.
Senior Advocate and CPI(M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said that the State Government's argument that DA will strain the exchequer does not have a legal basis. Mr. Bhattacharya said that the West Bengal Government has money for 'illegal works, including building temples and organising fairs but cannot pay employees of the State Government their salaries.'
'The court initially ordered payment of 50% of DA arrears. The State government said it will break the back of the Government. The Court then ordered payment of 25% arrears,' Mr. Bhattacharya said. According to unions 25% arrears will cost the State ₹10,000 crore.
Leaders of opposition parties welcomed the order and criticised Mamata Banerjee. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari demanded her resignation.
'I hope Mamata Banerjee will take responsibility for denying the rights of employees for years and tender her resignation,' the BJP leader said.
Describing the development as a huge victory for West Bengal Government employees, Mr. Adhikari said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's government spent about ₹200 crore fighting a case against its own employees. 'Mamata Banerjee had asserted that 'DA is not a right.' Today's direction establishes that DA is indeed a right,' the LOP said.
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