Bengal govt seeks university teachers' and staff data for settling outstanding DA

The Bengal government has taken a significant step toward settling the outstanding Dearness Allowance (DA) for teachers and non-teaching staff at government-aided universities. The Higher Education Department issued a formal request to the registrars of all state-run universities, seeking comprehensive data on current employees and retired staff. This move is part of the administration's broader effort to streamline the disbursement of arrears and current allowances following recent financial clearances from Nabanna.

University administrations have been instructed to compile a meticulous database in MS-Excel format, covering the period from January 2016 to December 2019. This record must include detailed information on monthly salaries, pensions, and the exact amount of DA or Dearness Relief (DR) already paid to each individual during those four years. The Finance Department requires this granular data to finalize the exact outstanding dues for every employee and pensioner within the state-funded educational ecosystem.

To ensure the accuracy of the financial records, the registrars, in coordination with the Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs), must personally certify the information against official service books and contact lists. This directive follows a recent high-level meeting at the Finance Department, where Nabanna officials emphasized the need for a swift audit of beneficiary numbers and historical payment logs to avoid any discrepancies during the final payout phase.