DA Hike Controversy: WB Govt Says ‘Can’t Pay Now’, Strike Warning on March 13
DA CASE: The state government says it can't pay the Dearness Allowance (DA) right now as per the Supreme Court's order. It has asked for more time to follow the ruling. In response, government employees have threatened to bring the state to a halt.
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State government moves Supreme Court again
The West Bengal government has once again approached the Supreme Court. This time, they've filed a new application regarding the court's own verdict on the DA case. In a sharp reaction, state government employees have issued a fresh warning. This has once again cast a shadow of uncertainty over the payment of pending Dearness Allowance (DA).
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The state's application
On Friday, the state government approached the Supreme Court. They submitted a new plea asking the court to extend the deadline for implementing its verdict in the DA case.
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The state's plea
The state government informed the Supreme Court on Friday that it is facing several administrative and technical issues in implementing the DA payment order. The government also highlighted its financial difficulties. These are the reasons why it has asked for more time to follow the court's ruling.
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The state's claim
In its application, the state government claimed it's nearly impossible to meet such a huge financial commitment in a short time. They explained that calculating the pending DA requires verifying data for over 3.17 lakh current employees, as well as for retired government staff.
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Not digital
The state government informed the Supreme Court that before 2016, all employee data was not digital. It explained that verifying these handwritten records, which are kept in service books, is a major challenge. As a result, the process of digitising and then verifying this data is taking a lot of time.
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Portal launched
The government added that data from 2016 to 2019 is partially available on the 'Integrated Financial Management System' (IFMS), and calculations have begun using this information. However, for data from 2008 to 2015, they are building a separate online portal. Employees will have to upload their details on this portal for verification. The government said this requires technical preparation and security checks before it can go live.
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Financial pressure
The state's plea also highlighted its financial troubles. It mentioned that paying the pending DA would require thousands of crores of rupees. The government pointed to its financial limitations and the upcoming assembly elections, which make it difficult to take on new loans. This, they argued, is making it tough to pay the DA.
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The state's application
Citing all these reasons, the state government has asked the Supreme Court for an extension until at least December 31, 2026. This is for paying the first 25% instalment of the DA, which the court had ordered to be cleared by March 31. The state also added that it would try to pay the amount earlier if the situation becomes favourable.
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Review petition
Along with this application for an extension, the state government is also preparing to file a review petition. According to some government employees, this move suggests that the state is simply unwilling to pay the pending DA.
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Employees' counter-warning
Following this development, state government employees have issued a counter-warning. They have called for a strike on Friday, March 13, to bring the state to a standstill. Representatives of the employees said they will show their collective strength to Nabanna.
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