Archive · 2 Jun 2025
Supreme Court Orders West Bengal to Pay 25% DA to Employees
Imagine that prices of things are going up.
Dearness Allowance (DA) is like extra money given to government employees and people who have retired, to help them buy things when prices are high.
The Supreme Court has told the West Bengal government to give its workers more DA.
The court said they must give 25% more, and they have three months to do it.
This comes after employees asked the courts to make their DA match what central government employees get.
The court case has been going on since 2022.
Right now, employees get 18% DA, but they are still hoping for more.
The Supreme Court ordered the West Bengal government to pay 25% Dearness Allowance (DA) to state employees.
The order was issued on May 16, with a deadline of three months for payment.
The case stems from a 2022 dispute over DA parity with central government employees.
West Bengal employees currently receive 18% DA, following a recent 4% increase.
Over 10 lakh employees and pensioners are affected by the ruling.
- Who
- The Supreme Court ordered the West Bengal government.
- What
- The Supreme Court has directed the West Bengal government to pay 25% Dearness Allowance (DA) to state employees.
- When
- The Supreme Court issued the order on May 16, with the case to be heard again in August.
- Where
- West Bengal
- Why
- To help state employees and pensioners cope with rising prices and inflation.
Employees
Government
DA Disparity
Employees
Seek DA parity with central government staff, demanding higher compensation to match rising costs.
Government
Challenged the decision, arguing against matching central DA rates due to financial constraints.
- DA Ordered
- 25%
- State Affected
- West Bengal
- Deadline for Payment
- 3 Months
- Date of Order
- May 16, 2025
- Previous Ruling
- Calcutta High Court
- Current DA (as of April 1, 2025)
- 18%
- Affected Employees/Pensioners
- Over 10 Lakh