Kolkata: The state government has begun the process of clearing pending Dearness Allowance (DA) dues of its employees with the Finance Department launching a dedicated portal this week, where employees have started uploading details of arrears for the period between January 2016 and December 2019.
The first instalment is expected to be credited to accounts by March 31, the last day of the current financial year.
On February 5, the Supreme Court made it clear that DA is not a matter of charity but a legal right of government employees.
It directed that 25 percent of arrears from 2008 to 2019 be paid as the first instalment by March 31. The newly introduced portal is part of the compliance process.
The court had also asked the state to issue a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) before disbursal of DA. However, no such guideline has yet been made public. A section of senior government officials feels that executing such a large exercise without a clear SOP could lead to errors. The teachers’ body ‘Bangiya Shikshak O Shiksha Karmi Samiti’ has alleged that only direct government employees are currently able to upload their details on the portal.
A leader of the Left-leaning government employees’ organisation ‘Coordination Committee’ has written to the additional chief secretary of the Finance Department, expressing concern that many employees who are unable to access the portal may be deprived of the first instalment.