KOLKATA: Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said that Mamata Banerjee is the only Chief Minister in the country who moves the Supreme Court (SC) against her government employees.
Slamming the West Bengal CM over the payment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to the employees, during a press conference today, the Union Minister said, “Mamata is the only CM across the country who moves the Supreme Court against her own government employees. People are dying because of non-payment of DA, but not due to the SIR-related anxieties, stress and workload in Bengal.”
“She could have moved the SC for the DA issue instead of challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. She should make an apology to the state government employees,” Bhupender said.
Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition, in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, said, “The CM, while reacting to the DA issue, has recently told reporters at the state secretariat Nabanna that the DA is a sub-judice case and that’s why she refused to comment on the matter. I want to make it clear to her that the DA issue is no longer a sub-judice case. It’s a closed chapter as per the verdict of the apex court.”
The BJP MLA from Nandigram in East Midnapore district in the State, also said, “The SC has categorically stated that fundamental rights of people will have to be protected. It has clearly outlined the planning on how to pay the arrears DA amount to the state government employees. She is repeatedly ignoring and humiliating the judicial system of the country. There is adequate scope to move the court if her government does not pay the 25 per cent DA by March.”
On Tuesday, Mamata, when asked about the payment of arrears DA as per the directives of the SC, told the media, “DA is a sub-judice matter, and I won’t comment on it.”
The apex court on Thursday had directed the Bengal government to clear its employees’ DA arrears accrued between 2008 and 2019, with a yet-to-be-specified first instalment to be paid by March 31, rejecting the State’s plea that such an order would cripple it financially.
However, in a partial relief to the Mamata Banerjee government, the top court ruled that state employees cannot seek DA parity with their central government counterparts, which is what the employees had sought.
The court also ruled that employees do not have the right to DA payment twice a year, as it is a matter under the State’s discretion.