Kolkata: To clear long-pending dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) arrears for employees and pensioners of grant-in-aid institutions and other state-supported bodies, the West Bengal government has asked all concerned departments to submit their standard operating procedures (SOPs) by Monday, warning that any further delay could stall the payout process.
Nabanna sources said the absence of department-wise SOPs has emerged as the primary reason behind the delay in releasing dues for the period from April 2008 to December 2019.
The issue was reviewed at a high-level meeting convened by the Finance department on April 1, where it was decided that each administrative department must frame a separate SOP outlining the mechanism for calculation and disbursal of arrears for employees as well as pensioners under its jurisdiction.
However, several key departments are yet to comply with the directive, prompting the Finance department to take a stricter stance. In a recent communication, departments have been asked to ensure submission of SOPs within the revised deadline, failing which administrative action may follow. Departments covered under the directive include School Education, Higher Education, Mass Education Extension and Library Services, Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education, Transport, and Panchayat and Rural Development — all of which have a substantial number of employees and pensioners awaiting arrears.
Officials said the payment roadmap can be finalised only after the SOPs are received and vetted. Once approved, the Finance department is expected to begin phased disbursal, with funds transferred either directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts or through the pension module, depending on the category.
The move assumes significance in the backdrop of the Supreme Court of India order dated February 5, directing the state to clear pending DA dues for the 2008–2019 period.