New Delhi, May 16 (HS) : The Supreme Court has directed the West Bengal government to grant a 25 percent dearness allowance to state government employees. The bench, headed by Justice Sanjay Karol, issued an interim order instructing the state government to make the payment within three months.

In May 2022, the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government to pay dearness allowance at the central rate following a petition from state employees. The state government appealed the High Court's decision to the Supreme Court. Recently, while the West Bengal government announced a slight increase in dearness allowance, a significant 37 percent gap persists, with the central rate at 55 percent versus the state’s 18 percent.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar