Pay 25% DA to state government employees: Supreme Court to West Bengal

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the West Bengal government to pay 25 per cent Dearness Allowance (DA) to state government employees.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta issued an interim order directing the West Bengal government to make the payment within three months and posted the matter to be heard next in August.

The dispute began when a few state government employees approached the Calcutta High Court, seeking DA parity with central government employees, including arrears. In May 2022, the high court directed the state to pay DA at the central rate.


However, the West Bengal government challenged this decision in the Supreme Court, filing an appeal in November 2022.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has announced incremental increases in DA on a few occasions, though they have not matched the central rates and a gap of 37 per cent still remains. The Central government pays 55 per cent DA to its employees.

Currently, West Bengal state government employees get 18 per cent DA after the new 4% is added to the existing 14% on April 1, 2025, leading to widespread discontent among the employees.

Dearness allowance is a cost-of-living adjustment provided to government employees and pensioners to help them cope with inflation and rising prices. It is calculated as a percentage of the basic salary or pension and is revised periodically.

The increase brings the total DA to 18% for over 10 lakh state government employees and pensioners. The move aims to address ongoing concerns raised by employees who have been demanding better compensation.