Dearness Allowance: WB Budget 2025 DA Hike Expectations: Employees Demand 3 Installments at Once
Dearness Allowance: Dearness Allowance (DA) has remained a central point of contention for West Bengal state government employees for years. Despite prolonged legal battles reaching the Supreme Court demanding parity with Central Government rates, a final verdict is still awaited. In this backdrop, all eyes are now set on the upcoming State Budget to be presented on February 5. However, employee unions are no longer satisfied with token hikes; demands for a substantial settlement are growing louder.
All Eyes on the February 5 Budget
The State Budget is scheduled to be presented in the Assembly on February 5. Given the upcoming elections, it is highly likely that a ‘Vote-on-Account’ or interim budget will be tabled instead of a full budget. Government employees are hopeful that the State Finance Ministry will continue the trend of previous years by announcing a DA hike. In the budgets of 2023 and 2024, the state government announced hikes of 3% and 4% respectively. Speculations are rife that this trend might continue in 2025 as well.
Single Installment Won’t Suffice: Union Demands
Government employees are arguing that a routine hike of 3% or 4% is insufficient given the current inflation and the widening gap with central rates. A demand has been raised to release multiple installments at once instead of a single tranche. Malay Mukherjee, General Secretary of the Confederation of State Government Employees, has made a strong statement regarding this issue.
Mr. Mukherjee highlighted that while most state governments and the Central Government are providing DA at the rate of 58% under the 7th Pay Commission, West Bengal employees are stuck at 18% under the 6th Pay Commission. This has created a massive gap of 40%. He stated, “Even if the government provides DA under the 6th Pay Commission, they should release two or three installments together. This would provide some genuine relief to the employees.”
Speculations Around 7th Pay Commission
The legal deadlock regarding the DA case continues. Although the hearing concluded in the Supreme Court on September 8, the judgment remains reserved. Amidst rising frustration, there is speculation about whether the state government will take a major step to pacify the workforce. Since the tenure of the 6th Pay Commission in West Bengal has effectively ended, rumors suggest that the formation of the 7th Pay Commission might be announced in this budget or shortly thereafter. For now, the entire state workforce is eagerly waiting for the announcements on February 5.
