Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, May 24, 2025, Kolkata : The Confederation of State Government Employees, West Bengal issued a formal letter to the West Bengal government, urging immediate action on the Supreme Court’s recent directive regarding the payment of dearness allowance (DA) to state government employees. The letter references a crucial order handed down by the Supreme Court on May 16, which mandates that the state government clear at least 25% of the outstanding DA dues to all employees. The Supreme Court’s order was issued in favor of a May 20, 2022, judgment by the Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court, which had ruled that the West Bengal government must address the DA arrears.
The state government had previously challenged the Calcutta High Court’s judgment by appealing to the Supreme Court, but the apex court upheld the lower court’s decision, reaffirming the need for the outstanding dues to be cleared. The Government Employees Council, in their letter, has attached a copy of the Supreme Court’s order and made a formal request for the state government to implement the directive within the next six weeks.
The council emphasized that this order, if promptly acted upon, could finally resolve the long-standing issue of DA arrears, providing much-needed relief to lakhs of government employees in the state. They believe that the implementation of this order will help end the prolonged wait for the employees and restore their financial stability.
The council’s demand highlights the importance of respecting judicial orders and calls for the government to act swiftly to ensure the payment of the outstanding dearness allowance, which has been a point of contention for a significant period.
