KMC employees announce pen-down protest on Friday over unpaid DA despite SC mandate

Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) employees have announced a pen-down protest on July 4, demanding the disbursement of their pending Dearness Allowance (DA). The protest will be held from 12 noon to 4 p.m., during which all non-emergency services provided by the civic body will be suspended. This includes issuance of birth and death certificates, garbage disposal, drainage and sanitation monitoring, tax collection, bill payment services, license renewals, and on-site supervision of civic projects.

The protest follows a Supreme Court order issued in March 2025, which stated that DA is a permanent and essential component of salary and must be paid by the state government. The court clarified that DA is a legal entitlement and not subject to the discretion of the state. It had directed the West Bengal government to clear all pending DA dues at the earliest. However, four months after the judgment, no roadmap or payment schedule has been released.

On July 2, a protest will also be held ahead of the pen-down movement. The KMC Workers’ Union, which is organising the protest, has stated that if there is no government response or initiation of dialogue, the agitation may be intensified. The union maintains that the issue affects not only KMC employees but also a large number of state government employees across West Bengal who are waiting for their DA dues.

KMC Workers’ Union General Secretary Manotosh Sarkar stated that the government has not shown willingness to implement the Supreme Court's ruling. "When the Supreme Court has ruled that DA is a part of salary and must be paid mandatorily, the government remains silent. It clearly indicates an intention to delay rather than disburse," he said. Sarkar also added that the DA issue concerns the financial rights of lakhs of employees across the state.

The Supreme Court judgment was seen as a major legal step in a long-standing dispute between West Bengal government employees and the state administration regarding DA payments. Despite the judgment, the absence of administrative action has led to growing dissatisfaction among employees in various departments. The upcoming pen-down protest will be limited to non-essential services, but the union has warned of a broader movement if demands are not met.