Different associations of West Bengal government employees, except the one linked with the ruling Trinamool Congress, are gearing up for a dual attack on the state government before the upcoming Assembly elections. The focus of their agitation is the demand for equal dearness allowance (DA) as Central government employees and the settlement of pending arrears dating back to 2008. Legal action and street demonstrations near Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence are part of their planned protests.
Sangrami Joutho Mancha, a coalition representing various state government employee associations, has taken the legal route by filing a contempt petition against the West Bengal government in the Supreme Court. The petition alleges non-compliance with the court’s directive to pay 25% of DA arrears from 2008 to 2019 immediately or by the end of the fiscal year 2025–26. Concurrently, constituent organizations of the coalition have outlined protest activities leading up to the elections to emphasize their grievances.
The West Bengal Coordination Committee, supported by the CPI(M), has declared a protest march from Esplanade in central Kolkata to the Chief Minister’s residence at Kalighat on February 26. The Committee’s general secretary, Biswajit Gupta Chowdhury, stated that despite the Supreme Court’s explicit instructions on DA payments, the state government is stalling the process. Hence, they plan to combine street protests with their legal battle.
Following the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refrained from extensive public remarks on the issue, citing its sub judice status. However, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, criticized her stance, questioning the continued sub judice status after the court’s order. Initial estimates indicate that complying with the court’s directive could cost the state treasury over Rs 10,000 crore immediately and approximately Rs 42,000 crore in the long run.
