7th Pay Commission: Big Step Before Polls! Government Employees Write Strong Letter to Governor Regarding 7th Pay Commission and DA Arrears
7th Pay Commission: The ongoing dissatisfaction among West Bengal state government employees regarding Dearness Allowance (DA) and salary structures has taken a new turn. Ahead of the assembly elections, the ‘Sangrami Joutha Mancha’, a platform representing state government employees and teachers, has directly approached the constitutional head of the state, Governor C.V. Ananda Bose. The organization has written a letter seeking an appointment with the Governor to discuss several critical issues and find a resolution.
Key Demands Placed Before the Governor
In their letter to the Governor, the Sangrami Joutha Mancha has primarily outlined five key demands. These demands are considered vital for securing the future of lakhs of government employees in the state.
- Formation of the 7th Pay Commission: While the demand for salary at par with the central government has been longstanding, employees are now specifically asking for the formation of the 7th Pay Commission within a fixed timeframe. To ensure that government employees and teachers are not deprived of their fair wages and benefits amidst rising inflation, the immediate constitution of this commission has been prioritized.
- Implementation of 6th Pay Commission Recommendations: Apart from the new commission, the letter also emphasizes the immediate implementation of the second part of the 6th Pay Commission’s recommendations, which remains unexecuted.
- DA Arrears and Filling Vacancies: The movement for pending DA has been ongoing for a long time. The letter reiterates the demand for clearing DA arrears and also calls for rapid and transparent recruitment to fill the vacant posts across various government departments.
Future Course of Action and Warning
The leaders of the organization have made it clear that their actions are not limited to merely sending a letter or seeking a discussion. Bhaskar Ghosh, the Joint Convener of the organization, issued a stern warning regarding their future plans. He stated that their next steps would depend entirely on the measures taken by the state government regarding the employees’ demands.
The message from the organization is clear: if no positive response is received from the state government, they will organize a massive protest gathering by the end of this month. By seeking the Governor’s intervention, they aim to create pressure on the government to arrive at a dignified and timely solution to these long-pending grievances.
It remains to be seen how much impact this letter and the request for a meeting with the Governor will have on the state administration. However, this organized move by the employees just before the elections is expected to exert significant pressure on the state government.
