Kolkata: Tension escalated in West Bengal on Sunday as thousands of state government employees poured onto the streets of Kolkata, pressing the Mamata Banerjee-led government to act swiftly on the Supreme Court’s directive regarding pending Dearness Allowance (DA) payments.
The demonstration began at Subodh Mullick Square in central Kolkata and proceeded towards Rani Rashmoni Road, turning the heart of the city into a protest zone. Demonstrators accused the state administration of dragging its feet despite clear instructions from the country’s highest court.
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court directed the West Bengal government to release 25 per cent of the long-pending DA arrears to its employees by March 31. Protest leaders said the order left no room for delay and demanded immediate implementation.
Bhaskar Ghosh, convener of the Joint Forum of State Government Employees, said the prolonged DA dispute has severely impacted workers’ livelihoods. According to him, years of lower DA payments have reduced employees’ purchasing power, affecting not just households but the broader economy. He argued that releasing the arrears would inject much-needed liquidity into the market and revive local economic activity.
The protest also took on a political colour as BJP MP Saumitra Khan joined the rally, accusing the state government of ignoring employee welfare while continuing to make “token announcements” instead of settling dues.
In the recently presented interim budget, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced a four per cent hike in DA, a move many employees termed insufficient and unrelated to the Supreme Court’s ruling. After the court order, Banerjee stated that a committee led by the state’s Chief Secretary had been formed to examine the issue with legal advice.
Responding to the criticism, Trinamool Congress MP and senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee said the government was well within its rights to study the judgment and would take appropriate steps within the given timeframe.
