Will the Publication of the 6th Pay Commission Report Spark Controversy for Bengal's Government?

Kolkata, June 18 (NationPress) A recent ruling from a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court mandates the West Bengal government to unveil the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission by July 1. This announcement could potentially unleash significant challenges for the state administration.

The government is required to display the recommendations on its website regarding the pay commission.

Concerns may arise due to existing complexities surrounding the overdue dearness allowance payments to state employees.

A major fallout could occur if there is a discrepancy between the DA claims made in court and the actual recommendations. This concern explains why the state has delayed their public release, necessitating a court order.

Representatives from the United Forum of State Government Employees, the collective leading the charge against the government on the dearness allowance issue, suspect that the state has intentionally withheld the 6th Pay Commission's recommendations from the public for an extended period.

“In the ongoing dispute over dearness allowance dues, which has moved from the state administrative tribunal to the Calcutta High Court and then to the Supreme Court, the state government has frequently asserted that it has been complying with the 6th Pay Commission's recommendations. Now that these recommendations will be disclosed, we will be able to assess the authenticity of their claims. However, given the current government's history, we are skeptical about it contesting the single-judge's order from Calcutta High Court mandating publication by July 1 at any higher bench,” stated a senior member of the forum.

In directing the state to publish the 6th Pay Commission recommendations by July 1, Justice Amrita Sinha of the Calcutta High Court noted that these recommendations are not confidential documents and therefore should not be excluded from public access.

The representatives from the forum highlighted that the 6th Pay Commission took an unprecedented 30 months to present its recommendations to the state after its formation.

“Typically, a pay commission is expected to submit its recommendations within six months of its establishment, which can be extended up to nine months or a year. In contrast, the 6th Pay Commission took 30 months to deliver its recommendations. Even after submission, these recommendations have not been made public,” the forum official remarked.

At the time the report was submitted, the state government had not indicated whether it would publish the 6th Pay Commission recommendations by July 1 or appeal the single-judge bench's order to a higher court.