Supreme Court Orders West Bengal to Pay DA: BJP's Critique Intensifies

In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court has instructed the West Bengal government to distribute 25% of the pending Dearness Allowance (DA) to its state employees, a decision that BJP leader and Opposition Leader in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has warmly welcomed. Adhikari characterized the state government as 'bankrupt' and predicted a political shift, saying Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could soon become 'former' due to financial mismanagement.

Adhikari asserted that once the DA is disbursed, the BJP will emerge victorious, promising equal facilities to those offered by the central government along with employment opportunities for the youth. He emphasized that this decision, hailed by BJP leader Amit Malviya as a 'major victory,' underscores a long-standing demand by the state's employees for economic justice.

The ruling follows a contentious series of legal maneuvers by the West Bengal government—marked by 17 adjournments—to delay proceedings. Initially, the Supreme Court suggested a 50% payment of the dues, but the state government, represented by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued that such a payment would devastate the state's finances. Yet, Malviya criticized the state's alleged fiscal irresponsibility, blaming Mamata Banerjee's administration for depleting the exchequer while neglecting employees' dues and youth employment.

(With inputs from agencies.)