DA arrears: Bengal govt employees' forum announces march to Assembly

SNS & AGENCIES, KOLKATA, 24 JULY 2023 : The Joint Forum of West Bengal Government Employees, spearheading the movement demanding payment of dearness allowance arrears at par with Union government employees and the arrears accrued on it, on Monday announced that they will be organising march to Assembly.

Although the forum's office bearers did not specify the date of the agitation, they said that it will be organised any day during the monsoon session of the assembly which commenced from Monday. 

"This is to remind Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that as opposition leader in the state, she was most vocal on this matter," said joint forum convener Bhaskar Ghosh. 

He also informed media persons that the forum has given letters to both ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition MP requesting them to discuss the issue of DA payments on the floor of the House. 

"We have also sent letters to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking her appointment to discuss the matter," Ghosh said. 

At the same time, he added, a section of the pensioners will submit "voluntary death petitions" to President Droupadi Murmu on August 4. 

"Because of the nonpayment of the enhanced dearness Allowance arrears and the arrears accrued on it, these pensioners are facing extremely tough situations and hence they want to end their lives voluntarily," he said.