West Bengal govt employees hail SC direction on DA

The Supreme Court on Friday told the West Bengal government to pay 25 per cent Dearness Allowance (DA) to its employees. The court gave the state three months to make the payment. The decision came from a bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta. The case will be heard again in August. This issue began when some government workers in West Bengal prayed before the Calcutta High Court for DA equal to what central government workers get. In May 2022, the High Court told the state to pay DA at central government rates. But the West Bengal government did not agree and took the matter to the Supreme Court in November 2022. Since then, the state has raised DA a few times, but it still remains much lower than the central government rate. There is still a gap of 37 per cent.
As of April 1, 2025, West Bengal workers receive 18 per cent DA, including a recent 4 per cent hike. Many employees are unhappy and say this is not enough. An association of West Bengal government employees on Friday hailed the Supreme Court's interim order, directing the state to pay 25 per cent of the outstanding Dearness Allowance (DA) within the next three months. Sangrami Joutho Mancha convenor Bhaskar Ghosh said the state government had been denying its employees their rightful dues. "Thanks to the SC for upholding our rights," he said. This 25 per cent DA order will affect over 10 lakh employees and pensioners in West Bengal. It is expected to give them some relief as they continue to ask for better pay. Criticising the Mamata Banerjee government, the BJP welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, desrcibing it as a “landmark order”.