DA Movement: Sangrami Joutha Mancha Warns of ‘Nabanna March’ if DA Not Paid by June 27th
DA Movement: The issue of pending Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees has once again heated up in West Bengal. Despite an interim order from the Supreme Court, employee unions remain skeptical about the state government’s intentions. The ‘Sangrami Joutha Mancha’ has warned that if the Supreme Court’s directive is not met within the specified time, they will launch a larger movement, including a march to ‘Nabanna’ (the state secretariat).
The Supreme Court’s Historic Directive
Recently, on May 16, 2025, the Supreme Court issued a landmark interim order to the West Bengal government. A bench comprising Justice Sanjoy Karol and Justice Sandeep Mehta directed the state to pay 25 percent of the pending Dearness Allowance arrears for the period from 2009 to 2019 within six weeks. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for August. This order is expected to benefit nearly 1 million employees and will require the state to allocate approximately ₹11,000 crore.
It is noteworthy that in May 2022, the Calcutta High Court had recognized DA as a “legally enforceable right” of government employees and ordered the state to clear the dues at par with central government rates. The state government subsequently challenged this verdict in the Supreme Court.
Why This Protest?
Currently, the difference in DA between state and central government employees stands at 37 percent. While central government employees receive DA at a rate of 55 percent, West Bengal government employees get only 18 percent, even after a recent 4 percent hike. This vast disparity is the primary reason for the long-standing anger and agitation among the state employees.
The Firm Stance of Sangrami Joutha Mancha
While welcoming the Supreme Court’s verdict, the Sangrami Joutha Mancha is not fully confident in the state government’s compliance. As mentioned in the video footage, the forum’s convener, Bhaskar Ghosh, stated that they will wait until the court’s deadline. In his words, “If the government defies the apex court’s order, we will take legal action and also take to the streets to put pressure on the government.” He added, “Since all decisions are made at Nabanna, our movement will also be centered on Nabanna.”
In addition, the forum has also demanded a transparent transfer policy across all government departments to prevent vindictive transfers of employees participating in the movement. Overall, the conflict over DA between the state and its employees has reached a new turning point, with the future course of action heavily dependent on the Supreme Court’s next hearing in August.
