DA Arrears News: “35 to 50% DA by March 31…” – Employee Leadership Claimed

DA Arrears News: The long-standing issue of Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears for West Bengal state government employees has taken a significant turn following a recent directive from the Supreme Court. The apex court has set a strict deadline for the state government to clear pending dues accumulated under the 5th Pay Commission from 2008 to 2019, reigniting hope among lakhs of employees.

Supreme Court Sets Strict Deadline

A bench comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra has ordered the state government to clear 25% of the total DA arrears before the end of the current financial year. According to the court’s directive, this payment must be completed by March 31. Furthermore, the first installment of this amount is to be disbursed by March 6. The state has also been instructed to file a compliance report by April 15, detailing the execution of this order.

What About the Remaining 75%?

While the immediate order addresses 25% of the arrears, questions remain regarding the payment of the remaining 75%. To resolve this, the Supreme Court has constituted a high-power committee led by retired Justice Indu Malhotra. This three-member panel will determine the mechanism and the number of installments in which the remaining balance will be paid to the employees.

Unions Criticize State Government

Amidst these developments, Malay Mukherjee, General Secretary of the Confederation of State Government Employees, has heavily criticized the state government. He claimed that approximately 6 lakh government posts are currently vacant in West Bengal. Mukherjee argued that the funds saved from not paying salaries and allowances for these vacant posts are being diverted to fund schemes like ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’, ‘Yuvashree’, and donations to Durga Puja committees, instead of clearing the employees’ rightful dues.

Expecting Major Relief by March 31

According to the union leader, the pressure from the Supreme Court has left the government with no choice but to pay up. Mukherjee predicts that by combining the court-mandated 25% arrears and potential recommendations from the high-power committee, employees could receive anywhere between 35% to 50% of their dues by March 31. He emphasized that the government can no longer delay the process and significant financial relief is on the horizon for the workforce.