DA Payment: A New Ploy by the State to Stall Arrears? Sangrami Joutha Mancha’s Explosive Claim

DA Payment West Bengal: The stalemate over dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees continues. As employees look towards the Supreme Court for a resolution, Bhaskar Ghosh, the convener of Sangrami Joutha Mancha, has leveled explosive allegations against the state government. According to him, the state may be adopting a new strategy to deliberately delay the payment of DA arrears.

In a recent interview, Bhaskar Ghosh expressed this concern. He believes the state government is planning to file a defective MA (Modification Application) at the very last minute, just before the scheduled deadline. The primary goal of this tactic, he alleges, is to gain more time when the Supreme Court inevitably asks for the errors to be corrected.

What Are the Government’s Alleged Strategies?

In the interview, Bhaskar Ghosh highlighted several potential strategies he believes the state government might employ:

• Last-Minute Application: Filing an application just before the deadline to intentionally cause a delay, as the court would then grant more time for corrections.
• Creating Confusion Over Dues: Attempting to create confusion by seeking clarification on which employees are eligible for DA and the total duration of the arrears. Ghosh suggests this is a bureaucratic tactic.
• Proposal for Installments: There are also rumors that the government may appeal to the court for permission to pay the outstanding DA arrears in three installments.

Message to Employees and Preparation for the Legal Battle

Amidst these concerns, Bhaskar Ghosh has urged employees not to lose morale. He stated that whatever step the government takes will ultimately work in the employees’ favor. He speculated that it could even lead to a court order for a 50% DA payment with strict enforcement measures. The main objective of the Sangrami Joutha Mancha is to establish DA as a fundamental right for employees.

Ghosh added that alongside the legal battle, employees must demonstrate their collective strength. He mentioned the need for decisive actions, such as work stoppages at government offices if necessary. According to him, pressure from outside the courtroom is equally important. For this reason, he has called upon everyone to participate in programs like the ‘Nabanna Abhiyan’ (march to the secretariat).

Allegations of Corruption and Favoritism

Bhaskar Ghosh also made serious allegations of corruption and favoritism against the state government. He claimed that pro-government employee federations are being appeased with benefits such as favorable postings near their homes, permission to leave the office during work hours, and other perks. He alleged that these very groups are working from within to obstruct the DA payment process.

He also spoke out against widespread corruption in the employee transfer process across the state. He encouraged everyone to bring any information regarding illegal appointments or transfers to the forefront so that they can be exposed publicly.

Overall, the movement for DA arrears by West Bengal state government employees has reached a critical new phase. Through a dual approach of legal challenges and street protests, the employees are determined to secure their rights. It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold in the coming days.