SC directs the Government of West Bengal to pay 25% DA to its employees; BJP Hales Directive | Bharat News
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the West Bengal government to pay 25 percent dearness allowance (DA) to its employees within three months. The interim order comes as part of the legal battle on DA equality with the central government employees.Posting the case for further hearing in August, a bench of Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta instructed.The case stems from one 2022 Calcutta High Court verdict This directed the West Bengal government to bring DA payment as per the central rate. The state employees had shifted the court demanding equality, citing increasing inflation and financial difficulty. Currently, central government employees receive 55 percent DA, while West Bengal government employees get only 18 percent even after a recent 4 percent increase in April 2025.The state government challenged the High Court’s verdict in the Supreme Court in November 2022. Senior advocate and Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared to the West Bengal government, allegedly told the court that payment of full dues would be severely increased by the state finance. The Supreme Court initially suggested paying 50 percent dues to the state, but after the arguments of Singhvi settled 25 percent as an interim measure.Reacting to the court’s order, BJP leader Amit Malviya saw it as a “major win” for government employees. In a post on X, he accused the state government of deliberately preventing the process.“To delay 17 adjournment after a long legal battle and several efforts by the state government, the Supreme Court has finally given a historic order. The court has directed the West Bengal government to pay at least 25% of the pending dearness allowance (DA) arrears to its employees.”He said, “If only Mamata Banerjee and her close associates did not rob the atmosphere with Brezen Impurity, the state government employees would have money to pay,” he said. He further alleged that the state has not only failed to respect the 2022 order of the High Court, but has also failed to create adequate employment opportunities in the state.
