Kolkata, March 4: The Joint Movement Forum, representing various employee organizations in West Bengal, has declared a complete work stoppage on March 13. This decision is in protest against the state government’s inaction regarding their Dearness Allowance (DA).
According to the forum, the state government has yet to comply with a Supreme Court order issued last month. This order mandated that the state pay its employees a DA equivalent to that of central government employees, following a phased approach, and settle the dues accrued since 2008.
On Wednesday, the forum announced the strike, coinciding with the auspicious festival of Holi, dubbing the action “Bandh Mubarak.”
An official stated, “In addition to directing the state government to follow a phased process, the Supreme Court also ordered West Bengal to pay 25% of the DA dues from 2008 to 2019 by March 31. However, there has been no initiative from the state to comply with the first phase of this process.”
He added, “Meanwhile, the state government is spending heavily on festival celebrations. Therefore, we have named the proposed strike ‘Bandh Mubarak.’ We will attend our offices that day but will not participate in any official work.”
The official also mentioned that they have learned the state government intends to file a review petition with the Supreme Court regarding this matter.
He further stated, “The Supreme Court has instructed the state government to make a decision on the first installment by March 6. After waiting until then, we have announced our protest program for March 13. We are prepared to take all necessary actions to secure our rightful entitlements.”
In addition to these protests, the forum has also kept its legal options ready against the state government. It remains to be seen how the government will respond to the proposed strike by its employees.
My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 7 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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