Supreme Court Set to Hear Long-Pending DA Case of Bengal Government Employees on Friday

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, May 15, 2025, Delhi: After years of delays and repeated adjournments, the dearness allowance (DA) case concerning West Bengal state government employees is finally set for a crucial hearing in the Supreme Court on Friday. The case, which holds immense importance for thousands of state employees, has been entangled in legal proceedings for over two years, despite employees securing favorable verdicts at every stage of the judicial process.

Originally sparked by disputes surrounding the recommendations of the Pay Commission, the matter progressed from the State Administrative Tribunal to the Calcutta High Court and eventually reached the Supreme Court. Throughout this legal journey, state government employees have consistently prevailed, bolstering hopes for a conclusive outcome.

The case’s trajectory in the Supreme Court has been particularly complex due to frequent changes in the composition of the bench. It was initially heard in 2022 by Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Hrishikesh Roy. The last hearing took place on April 28, 2023, under Justices Maheshwari and Sanjay Kumar. However, with the subsequent retirement of Justices Maheshwari and Roy, the case faced further delays and uncertainty.

Despite yet another adjournment on Wednesday, optimism surged following confirmation from Advocate Vikas Ranjan Bhattacharya that the matter is now scheduled for a final hearing this Friday. Speaking to reporters, Bhattacharya said, “The DA case was scheduled at 2 p.m. today. We were all present, but due to some special reasons, the court could not take it up. On our request, the hearing has been rescheduled to Friday. This time, the case will not be adjourned. We expect the final hearing to take place.”

As anticipation builds, government employees across the state are hopeful that the verdict—if delivered this week—will finally bring closure to a case that has long affected their financial entitlements.