West Bengal DA Hike: CM Announces 4% Increase In Dearness Allowance; BJP Says 'Lollipop'

West Bengal DA Hike:  On Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared a four per cent increase in dearness allowance (DA) for all state employees, effective New Year's Day. The opposition derided the decision as a "lollipop" for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls next year. Banerjee announced the raise during her speech at the inauguration of the Kolkata Christmas Carnival 2023 at Allen Park in the Park Street area of the city.

"I announce that all 14 lakh state government employees, teaching and non-teaching staff of all schools, colleges and universities, and employees of all statutory undertakings and parastatals and pensioners would be getting another instalment of 4 per cent DA from January 1, 2024," Banerjee said.

CM while declaring the hike, also appeared to be complaining about the extra cost around Rs 2400 Crore, that the state would have to incur. She said that while the DA hike is mandatory, it is optional for the state government.

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"We raise DA periodically. Though we have a Pay Commission, we give this additionally. The Centre's pay structure is different from ours. Their service rules are different. For us, DA is not mandatory, but optional. Despite that, we give it because our employees work day in and day out. So, keeping in mind their well-being we have taken this decision," she added.

Banerjee, discussing her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, "We will have to spend Rs 2,400 crore for this even though we do not get our dues from the Centre. I have met the PM in this regard. The Centre owes us Rs 1.15 lakh crore. Under the new pay scale, the state govt has released 6 per cent DA from 2019 with an expenditure of Rs 4,144 crore in four years."

However, the opposition leader in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, criticises the state government's decision, pointing out a substantial disparity of around 40 per cent with the central rate of Dearness Allowance (DA).

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"WB Chief Minister has announced a meagre 4 per cent hike in Dearness Allowance for state government employees. This minuscule increase is a mere 'lollipop' for the West Bengal government employees before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and a strategy to evade tough questions during the ensuing legal battle in the Court of Law. Nothing more nothing less," Adhikari posted on X.

CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty expressed solidarity with protesting state government employees, branding the increase as a "mockery." Chakraborty criticised the hike, saying, "It seems the chief minister is very happy after holding a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. So, it seems she decided to make fun of the government employees. We criticise this minuscule hike when the gap is nearly 40 per cent."