Now Reading: Bengal CM announces Rs 4,000 crore DA payout by November 30
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Bengal CM announces Rs 4,000 crore DA payout by November 30
The Story in Brief
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Wednesday that the state government will disburse Rs 4,000 crore in pending dearness allowance (DA) to government employees by 30 November. The total pending DA arrears stand at Rs 12,000 crore, of which Rs 8,000 crore has already been paid by the previous and current governments. Adhikari said DA is the employees' right, and the disbursal will occur before a scheduled visit by the Justice Indu Malhotra committee on 14 December.
The announcement follows a Supreme Court order in February that declared DA an enforceable legal right for Bengal government employees. The court had directed the state to release 25% of outstanding arrears immediately and set up an oversight committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra to monitor the remaining disbursal.
Separately, the finance department launched the West Bengal Salary Advance Scheme, offering digital short-term and multi-month loans to regular employees across Groups A to D. Short-term advances cover up to 50% of monthly salary, repayable within 60 days with no interest or fees if repaid on time. Multi-month advances can reach up to 30 times gross monthly salary, repayable over two to 60 months, with EMI capped at 50% of gross salary.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Rs 4,000 crore payout by 30 November clears the immediate DA backlog before the Justice Indu Malhotra committee arrives on 14 December, but the state still owes the remaining Rs 4,000 crore of the original Rs 12,000 crore arrears. The new salary advance scheme gives employees access to loans at no interest for short-term needs, potentially reducing reliance on private lenders. The government has also raised the ceiling for two-wheeler advances to Rs 1.20 lakh, linking the amount to basic salary or vehicle cost. How the state will fund the full DA arrears and whether the committee will order a faster timeline remain open.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
