New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (May 16) directed the state government of West Bengal to pay state government employees 25% Dearness Allowance (DA) dues within three months.
A bench comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Sandeep Mehta directed this to the state government of West Bengal in an interim order and posted the matter for further hearing in August.
Apex court’s interim order has come on an appeal by West Bengal government
The interim order of the apex court came on an appeal filed by the West Bengal government against an order of the Calcutta High Court directing the state government to pay DA to the state employees at par with rate applicable for the employees of the central government employees.
The central government employees are paid 55 per cent DA by the Centre.
West Bengal government employees moved High Court in 2022
The state government employees had moved the High Court in 2022 seeking DA parity with the central government employees and the High Court delivered its verdict in favour of the state government employees in May 2022.
The West Bengal government moved the apex court against the High Court order in November 2022 and while the matter was pending before the top court, the state government raised DA in phases, however, 37 per cent gap still remained.
Amit Malviya called apex court order a major victory for West Bengal state government employees
BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya called the apex court order a major victory for West Bengal state government employees and Bengal BJP.
“After a long legal battle and multiple attempts by the state government – nearly 17 adjournments – to delay proceedings, the Supreme Court has finally delivered a landmark order. The court has directed the West Bengal government to pay at least 25% of the pending Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears to its employees,” Malviya said in a post on social media X.
