Kolkata, Feb 5 (NationPress) The coalition of state government employees and Opposition groups in West Bengal expressed their approval of the Supreme Court's ruling regarding the Dearness Allowance (DA) on Thursday.

Bhaskar Ghosh, the convenor of the Joint Forum of State Government Employees, praised the decision, asserting it was a product of their persistent protests demanding the overdue DA from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's administration.

"This is a triumph for all state government employees who have been deprived of their rightful dues in the form of Dearness Allowance. The Supreme Court has unequivocally stated that the West Bengal government must now settle the outstanding DA. This achievement is the result of our unwavering efforts, having protested on this matter for over 1,100 days," Ghosh remarked.

"We extend our gratitude to our legal representatives, organizations, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, and lawyer Bikash Bhattacharya for their steadfast support. The state government must comply with the Supreme Court's ruling without any further delays and disburse the DA to government employees," he added.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court mandated the Mamata Banerjee government to pay 25 percent of the DA owed to state government employees by March 31.

The Division Bench, comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, also instructed the state government to form a four-member committee to address the remaining 75 percent of the DA.

Last year in August, the same Bench had reserved its judgment in this case.

In an interim order dated May 16 last year, the Supreme Court had directed the state government to pay 25 percent of the Dearness Allowance to its employees within three months. The Mamata Banerjee government subsequently requested the Supreme Court to extend the deadline by six months, citing financial constraints.

In light of today's ruling, Leader of Opposition Adhikari stated that the Supreme Court's decision has safeguarded the fundamental rights of state government employees.

"The honorable Supreme Court has upheld the fundamental rights of state government employees concerning the DA issue. Today, Mamata Banerjee's claims that 'DA is not an entitlement of the employees' have been disproven to evade her responsibilities. The highest court has confirmed that DA is a rightful claim of the employees, not a mere concession," Adhikari expressed on social media.

"After a prolonged wait and years of struggle, state government employees are finally set to receive their rightful Dearness Allowance as mandated by the honorable court," added the BJP leader.

Union Minister of State for Education and DoNER, Sukanta Majumdar, also welcomed the DA ruling.

"After enduring a long struggle characterized by unwavering determination, state government employees are now positioned to receive their Dearness Allowance in line with their legal entitlements, as per the Supreme Court's directive. This landmark decision reflects the unity, patience, and steadfast resolve of the state's government employees," Majumdar remarked.

Senior CPI(M) leader Bikash Bhattacharya praised the Supreme Court's order, stating, "This is a significant setback for the state government. If they possess any honor, they must expedite the release of the overdue DA. They have wasted valuable time and resources contesting this case and delaying the process."

Similarly, state Congress leader Ashutosh Chatterjee told IANS, "The Congress has consistently supported state government employees in their quest for pending DA. Today's Supreme Court ruling serves as a lesson for the Mamata Banerjee government. They must amend their errors."

Conversely, the Trinamool Congress asserted that this is a partial victory for the state government, as the Supreme Court did not mandate the payment of 100 percent DA.

"The Supreme Court did not instruct the state government to disburse 100 percent DA but merely 25 percent, indicating that the court sensitively assessed the situation. The central government, despite the Supreme Court's order, has refused to provide the state with pending funds for welfare initiatives like MGNREGA and Awas Yojana. If the Centre fulfills its obligations, the state government will not face financial difficulties in releasing the DA. The BJP should be held accountable for creating these complications," said Trinamool spokesperson Arup Chakraborty.

It is noteworthy that since 2022, there have been 18 adjournments on this issue after the Mamata Banerjee government appealed against a contempt proceeding initiated by the Calcutta High Court regarding DA.

As of April 1, 2025, the Dearness Allowance for Bengal government employees was set at 18 percent of the basic salary in last year's state budget proposals. The disparity between central employees and state employees stands at around 40 percent.