DA Case Today: The hearing in the Supreme Court regarding the Dearness Allowance (DA) of state government employees was full of intense excitement throughout the day. The case was heard today in the bench of Justice Sanjoy Karol and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra. Senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam and other lawyers appeared on behalf of the state government employees, while advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and other lawyers represented the state.
Several important facts and arguments emerged in today’s hearing, which gave a new direction to the case. Let’s find out the details.
Main Points of the Hearing
In today’s hearing, emphasis was mainly placed on two main issues:
- All India Consumer Price Index (AICPI): The employees’ lawyers strongly argued that the Dearness Allowance should be in accordance with the All India Consumer Price Index (AICPI). They tried to explain that the 1982 rule mentions 100% neutralization, which points towards the AICPI.
- DA twice a year: The lawyers also argued for the demand of giving DA twice a year. They said that the state government is intentionally and dishonestly not giving DA regularly, which is not acceptable.
Important Information and Evidence
During the hearing, the employees’ lawyer, Gopal Subramaniam, mentioned two RTI (Right to Information) copies, which were filed by Debprasad Halder. It is known from this RTI that the employees of Banga Bhavan and Chennai get DA at central rates and there is also a permanent order for Banga Bhavan. This information directly challenges the state’s Special Leave Petition (SLP), which emerges as one of the most important pieces of evidence in this case.
Observations and Comments of the Judges
During the hearing, the judges made several important observations. Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra repeatedly wanted to know if the High Court had said anything specific about the deadline for giving DA. In response, it was stated that both the High Court and the Tribunal had said to give DA according to the AICPI and had asked the state government to create specific rules in this regard.
When the judges found out that a huge amount of DA of the employees is in arrears (27 months according to ROPA 2009 and 4 years according to ROPA 2019), they jokingly commented that it sounds like a business where money is being held back. From this comment, the employees’ lawyers think that the judges are aware of the unfair position of the state. Justice Sanjoy Karol at one point said, “It is understood that you do not want to give anything,” which clarifies the lack of goodwill of the state.
The Future of the Case
Today’s hearing has not ended; the hearing will continue tomorrow. The employees’ lawyers are hopeful that the judges will accept the principle of AICPI and there will be “complete justice” for the employees. The issue of the employees of Banga Bhavan getting DA at central rates is believed to have weakened the state’s argument significantly. Now it remains to be seen what argument the state government presents in response and which way the final verdict goes.
