DA Case West Bengal: Uproar Over Arrear DA! Legal Notice to State, What’s the Government’s Next Move?

DA Case West Bengal: The Dearness Allowance (DA) case for West Bengal government employees has taken a new turn. The Sarkari Karmachari Parishad (Government Employees’ Council) has now sent a direct legal notice, alleging the state government’s procrastination over pending DA. The organization stated that this step was taken as the DA was not paid despite the Supreme Court’s order. It is believed that this legal notice will further escalate the conflict between the state government and its employees.

The Main Incident

The Sarkari Karmachari Parishad has informed that on June 27th, they sent a legal notice to the state government. This notice has been addressed to the state’s Chief Secretary, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Finance Department, and the Law Secretary. The notice clearly states that the pending DA must be cleared immediately in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order, otherwise, a contempt of court case will be filed against the state government.

Context of the Legal Notice

• Supreme Court’s Order: On May 16th, the Supreme Court had directed the state government to complete all processes related to the DA case within six weeks. That deadline ended on June 27th. However, it is alleged that the state government took no positive steps to clear the DA within this specified period.
• State Government’s Application: On the other hand, the state government filed a modification application in the Supreme Court on June 27th. According to the Sarkari Karmachari Parishad, this application is nothing but a tactic to further delay the process of giving DA.
• Demand of the Employees’ Council: The council demands that the state government must immediately comply with the Supreme Court’s order and clear the pending DA. They have warned that if this directive is not followed within two weeks of receiving the notice, they will file a contempt of court case in the apex court.

What Could Be the Next Step?

All eyes are now on the path the state government will take following this legal notice. On one side, there is the pressure to comply with the Supreme Court’s order, and on the other, the continuous agitation by employee organizations. If the state government takes no action even after this notice, it goes without saying that the DA case is set to become more complex and prolonged. The government employees hope that through this legal battle, they will get back their rightful dues.