State seeks DA order review

TT,  06 Nov 2019, Calcutta: The Bengal government on Monday moved the state administrative tribunal (SAT) seeking revision of a July 2019 order that state employees be paid dearness allowance like central staff at the rate of increase in the consumer price index.

Separately, two unions of employees moved petitions demanding contempt proceedings against the government for not implementing the tribunal's order even in three months.

Both petitions were taken up together for hearing by the tribunal comprising Justice Ranjit Bag, a retired judge of Calcutta High Court, and member Subesh Das, former principal secretary of labour department of the state government.

After a brief hearing, the tribunal asked both sides to file affidavits and decided to hear their cases on December 9.

In July this year, the tribunal had ruled that state employees were entitled to DA on a par with their counter parts in the central government. The state should fix the DA by matching the rate of increase in the national consumer index.

The tribunal had asked the state to implement its directive within two months. According to the employee unions, the state should face contempt proceedings as it had failed to carry out the court's directive.

In its petition, the government has said that the tribunal should revise its decision considering the state's huge financial burden.

Last month, however, the Mamata Banerjee government had announced salary hikes for its employees with effect from January next year.