West Bengal Government employees meet Governor, seek mediation on impasse over DA

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on March 6 expressed her inability to pay DA on par with Central government employees

A five-member delegation of protesting West Bengal Government employees met Governor C.V. Ananda Bose at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata on March 12, 2023 and sought his intervention in the imbroglio between them and the State government.

The employees, seeking pay parity on Dearness Allowance (DA) with Central government employees, while welcoming the Governor’s intervention, did not agree to call off their hunger strike.

“We thank the Governor for his intervention and he urged us to withdraw our hunger strike. You are aware that for the past 31 days, we are on a hunger strike but we have heard nothing from State government. The State government has not shown any sensitivity to our demands,” one of the members of the delegation said.

The State government employees urged the Governor to mediate and bring Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to the discussion table.

The Governor in a series of tweets had said that he was “deeply pained by the hunger strike of the aggrieved employees”. “What is of paramount importance is the precious life of our brothers,” Mr. Bose said. “The issues involved may be complex but there is always a simple way out to complex problems,” he said, speaking to journalists.

Ms. Banerjee had on March 6 expressed her inability to pay DA on par with the Central government. She had added that the State government did not have funds “now to give more than 6% (DA)”. “If chopping my head makes you happy, do so, but I do not have the capacity now,” Ms. Banerjee had said

On March 10, a strike called by State government employees was largely successful, with thousands of employees staying away from work. The delegation of government employees who met the Governor also sought his intervention on striking government employees being threatened by “hooligans”.