SC tells Bengal govt. to pay 25% DA by March 31

In a relief to nearly 20 lakh government employees, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the West Bengal government to pay dearness allowance (DA) to them from 2008 to 2019, saying it is a legally enforceable right.

A Bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra directed the State government to pay 25% of the outstanding DA to its employees by March 31. They also formed a four-member committee of three retired Supreme Court judges and one other official to oversee the release of payments. The committee has been directed to work with the State government to fix a payment plan for the rest of the 75% DA. The committee is to send its recommendations by March 6. The State government has to submit a compliance report with the court by April 15 after payments are released.

Employees rejoice

State government employees hailed the order, which marks the culmination of a decade-long fight. Government employees who fought this legal battle were seen rejoicing on the streets with colours.

Malay Mukhopadhyay, general secretary of the Confederation of State Government Employees, said they have been fighting a long battle since 2016. “This time, the Supreme Court has set a date for the payment, and now the government can’t refuse to comply. This is a relief for both working and retired government employees,” he told The Hindu.

Bhaskar Ghosh, State convener of Sangrami Joutho Mancha, another group that was at the forefront of the DA protests, called it a victory for the “common man”.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that they will study the order and consult lawyers to form a committee to review the verdict. “No other States give pension, we are the only ones. If we did not have to pay this huge amount, we would save so much money,” she told reporters after the State budget presentation. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari called the verdict a “defeat” for the government and a “major win” for the government employees.