BJP's Suvendu Adhikari welcomes decision on SC directing WB govt to pay 25% DA to employees

Adhikari also criticised the state government and called them "bankrupt", further stating that after the allowance was given, Mamata Banerjee would become the former Chief Minister.

"I welcome this...Today, the Supreme Court has said that DA is the right of the state government employees... This government is a completely bankrupt government... I am sure that pensioners will have to be given their DA along with arrears. After that, Mamata Banerjee will become the former Chief Minister, the BJP government will come and will give DA and all facilities equal to the central government and will also give jobs to unemployed youth," Adhikari told ANI.

Earlier, BJP leader Amit Malviya termed the decision as 'major victory' for the employees and the state unit of his party.

"This is a major victory for West Bengal government employees and BJP Bengal," Malviya said in a post on XA bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta issued an interim order directing the West Bengal government to make the payment within three months and posted the matter to be heard next in August.

Malviya alleged that the West Bengal government made multiple attempts to delay proceedings.

"After a long legal battle and multiple attempts by the state government--nearly 17 adjournments--to delay proceedings, the Supreme Court has finally delivered a landmark order. The court has directed the West Bengal government to pay at least 25% of the pending Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears to its employees," he said.

He pointed out that initially, the Supreme Court suggested that the state pay 50% of the dues. However, senior advocate and Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Trinamool Congress-led state government, argued that the state lacked the financial capacity to make such a large payment at once."

He claimed that such a move would "break the back" of the state government financially. If only Mamata Banerjee and her close aides had not looted the exchequer with brazen impunity, there would have been money to pay the state government employees," he said.

"This decision follows a May 2022 order by the Calcutta High Court directing the West Bengal government to pay DA to its employees at the Central Government rate. Yet, even after that order, the state continued to delay payments--failing both to disburse the rightful dues of government employees and to provide adequate employment opportunities to the youth," he added.

Malviya said that the BJP will ensure that government employees in West Bengal receive what they are owed and that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is held accountable. (ANI)