West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a 4% increase in dearness allowance (DA) for State government employees on Thursday. The raise takes effect from January 1, 2024.
The announcement, which the Chief Minister described as a Christmas Gift, comes ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The development is significant because the State government employees association and West Bengal government have been fighting a legal battle. The case demands pay parity with other States and the Central government.
Christmas gift
“Today as Christmas festivities begin, I am announcing another instalment of 4 % DA to around 14 lakh government employees including teaching, non-teaching staff, school, college and university employees of all statutory undertakings and pensioners,” Ms. Banerjee said at an event to open Christmas festivities at Park Street.
The Chief Minister said that the State government had earlier in 2019 increased DA by 6% and with the announcement today the DA has been increased to 10 %. The Chief Minister said that DA was not mandatory but the State government has decided to pay because employees have been working very hard.
“In 2024, from the month of January, there will be an increase of 4% DA which will result in a total DA increase of 10%. This will benefit more than 14.50 lakh government and semi government employees including pensioners,” a press statement by the State government said.
The statement added that the increase in DA will cost the exchequer ₹ 2,755 crore. The entire 10% increase will result in a total expenditure of ₹6,888 crore
Case in SC
The State government employee’s association has said that their fight will continue as the matter is before the Supreme Court. The employee’s association reminded the Chief Minister of the Calcutta High Court’s order in May 2022. The Court ruled that DA was a fundamental right of State employees. The matter is before the Supreme Court.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said: This “miniscule increase is a mere ‘lollipop’ for employees before the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections and a strategy to evade tough questions in court”.
Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday gave a section of protesting employees permission to hold a dharna from December 22 to December 24. The police had denied permission for protests at a bus stand near the State Secretariat.
