West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
| Photo Credit: Debasish Bhaduri
A section of West Bengal government employees held protests outside State Secretariat Nabanna buildings on Friday demanding a parity in the payment of Dearness Allowance (DA) with Centre and other State governments.
The protest was held despite the fact that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced a 4% hike in DA for State government employees. Leaders from different political parties in Opposition including CPI(M) Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya and Congress Kaustav Bagchi were among those who joined the protest organised by Sangrami Joutha Mancha – an employee association.
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The West Bengal government on Friday approached a Division Bench presided by Chief Justice T. S. Sivagnanam and to shift the agitation to an alternative venue.
The Bench allowed the employees to demonstrate at the place where they were sitting. A Division Bench presided by Chief Justice Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya directed Sangrami Joutha Mancha, the organisation holding the agitation, to wind up the sit-in demonstration by 4 p.m. on Saturday.
The Bench observed that since the agitation has already commenced it has to be kept in mind also that the festive season has commenced and Christmas celebrations are on. A Division Bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha had allowed employees’ associations to protest outside Nabanna. The State government had approached the Division Bench against the single Bench order.
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The organisation’s convenor Bhaskar Ghosh claimed that even after the announcement by the Chief Minister for an additional 4% DA to State government employees, there would remain a 36% point difference between the DA of the State government and Central government employees.
The Chief Minister had said on Thursday that the State government had earlier in 2019 increased the DA by 6% and with the announcement today the DA has been increased to 10%. The Chief Minister maintained that giving DA to employees was not mandatory.
The development also assumes significance considering the long protracted legal battle between the State government employees association and the West Bengal government over pay parity with the rest of the States and Central government. The Calcutta High Court ruled in May 2022 that DA was a fundamental right of employees and directed the State government to pay it within three months. The matter is pending before the Supreme Court.