Kolkata, March 4 – The Sangrami Youth Forum (Joint Movement Forum), an umbrella body of various West Bengal Government employees' associations, had called for a complete work stoppage on March 13 to protest against the state government's inaction regarding the Dearness Allowance (DA) payable to them.
According to the Joint Movement Forum, the state government has not yet complied with the Supreme Court's order from last month, which directed it to follow a step-by-step method to pay DA to state government employees in line with those of the central government staff, along with the arrears accrued since 2008.
The forum chose the auspicious Holi festival on Wednesday to announce the decision for a complete work stoppage on March 13, which they are describing as "Bandh Mubaraq" (Strike Solidarity).
"Besides instructing the state government to follow a step-by-step procedure on this issue, the Supreme Court had also directed West Bengal to pay 25 per cent of the Dearness Allowance arrears from 2008 to 2019 by March 31. However, until now, there has been no initiative on the part of the state to even follow the first part of that step-by-step process," said a forum official on Wednesday.
He also said that they have come to know that the state government will be approaching the Supreme Court again with a review petition in the matter.
"Since the Supreme Court had ordered the state government to decide on the first installment on March 6, we have announced a protest program on March 13 after waiting until March 6. We are ready to go as far as we have to in order to achieve our justified rights," the official added.
He also said that besides these protest movements, the forum had also kept its legal options ready against the state government in the matter.
Now it remains to be seen how the state government will react to the proposed work stoppage call by the state government employees.
