An association of state government employees in West Bengal has issued contempt of court notices to the Chief Secretary, Nandini Goswami, and the State Finance Secretary, Prabhat Kumar Mishra. This action was taken due to the government’s failure to comply with the Supreme Court’s order to pay 25% of the Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears from 2008 to 2019 by the end of the current financial year 2025-26. The court had ruled that these employees are entitled to the DA as a legally enforceable right under the statutory pay rules.
Firdous Shamim, the counsel for the Confederation of State Government Employees, confirmed the issuance of the contempt notices. The government has not yet taken any steps to fulfill the Supreme Court’s directive to pay the stipulated DA arrears by March 31, 2026. In response to this inaction, the Chief Secretary and the State Finance Secretary were served with the notices.
In addition to the immediate payment of 25% of the DA arrears by March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court had also instructed the formation of a high-level committee to determine a binding payment schedule for the remaining arrears. Despite these directives, the state government officials have maintained silence on the matter. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refrained from commenting on the issue, citing its sub judice status.
