DA Contempt Case: The legal battle regarding the pending Dearness Allowance (DA) for West Bengal state government employees has intensified. The Sangrami Joutha Mancha has once again moved the Supreme Court, filing a contempt of court petition against the state government. The employees’ organization alleges that despite indications from the apex court, the state administration has failed to take any positive steps towards clearing the DA arrears.
Table of Contents
Why the Contempt Petition?
According to the Sangrami Joutha Mancha, during previous hearings, the Supreme Court had indicated that the state government should clear a portion of the pending DA immediately. Specifically, there was mention of paying 25% of the arrears promptly. However, the protesters claim that despite the passage of significant time, the state has not made any decision regarding this payment.
Before filing the contempt case, the organization followed due legal process by sending notices to the Chief Secretary and the Finance Secretary of the state. The notice urged compliance with the court’s observations regarding the DA payment. Since there was no satisfactory response or action from the administration, the employees were compelled to approach the Supreme Court again through their legal counsel. The hearing dates will be decided based on the schedule of the Supreme Court justices.
The Committee and Payment Confusion
In previous hearings of the DA case, the bench comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra had issued significant directives:
- The state is required to clear 100% of the DA arrears.
- 25% of the amount was to be paid immediately.
- A 4-member committee was ordered to be formed to decide the timeline and installments for the remaining 75%.
Bhaskar Ghosh, convenor of the Sangrami Joutha Mancha, alleged a lack of administrative urgency regarding the 25% payment. Furthermore, he claimed that while the committee members are willing to meet, the state government is not allocating time for the discussions. “The court’s indications are being deliberately ignored, which is why we have moved for a contempt of court case,” Ghosh stated to the press.
Political Reactions
The prolonged legal struggle of government employees has also drawn political attention. BJP MP and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar expressed full support for the protesting employees. Criticizing the state government, he stated that the current administration is unwilling to pay DA, but assured that if BJP comes to power in the state, they will arrange for DA payments at central rates.
Millions of state government employees are now waiting to see when the Supreme Court will hear this contempt petition and what subsequent orders will be issued to the state government.
