Bengal misses SC deadline on DA payment, seeks 6-month extension citing budget constraints

The West Bengal government did not pay the pending 25% Dearness Allowance (DA) to its employees by the Supreme Court's deadline of June 27. The apex court had earlier fixed this deadline following a prolonged legal and administrative battle over the payment of DA arrears. On the final day of the deadline, the state submitted a fresh application before the court requesting an extension of six more months to comply with the order.

In its petition, the state government informed the Supreme Court that it was not in a position to release the 25% arrears due to financial limitations. It stated that the funds required for the DA payment had not been provided for in the current financial year’s budget. The plea argued that immediate disbursement was not possible under existing budgetary provisions and requested time to make necessary financial arrangements.

The demand for payment of DA arrears has been a longstanding issue for West Bengal government employees. The Supreme Court had clearly stated in its previous hearing that the 25% DA must be paid and no further arguments from the state would be considered. The court had granted six weeks' time for compliance, which ended on June 27. The new plea filed by the state now awaits the court’s response.