Outstanding DA issue dominates proceedings in state assembly, Bhanulal Saha points out the gap with central employees

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, September 27, 2022

Despite sanction of only 8% of DA for employees and pensioners , the employees and pensioners in Tripura draw only 26% of DA compared with 34% drawn by central employees, officers and pensioners. In the entire northeast the Tripura employees and pensioners draw the least percentages of DA as evident from the data furnished in the state assembly yesterday by the former finance minister and sitting CPI (M) MLA Bhanulal Saha.

Initiating discussion on a call-attention motion on the issue Bhanulal Saha said that in Arunachal Pradesh the employees and pensioners receive the highest percentage of DA at 34%, in Assam-31%, in Nagaland-31%, in Sikkim-31% , Meghalaya-22%, Manipur-21%,Mizoram-17% but in Tripura only 8%. “It means the employees and officers of Tripura are being deprived of rupees between a minimum of Rs 4160.00 and a maximum of Rs 55,874.00 ; how can this be covered unless the state government sanctions more installments of DA to cover the gap” said Bhanulal.

He referred to a news-item published in a local daily quoting employee leader Swapan Bol that unless pending DA installments are cleared an agitation will be launched and a case filed in court. “Our experience in West Bengal shows that the high court can intervene in the matter and direct the state government to clear the DA installments at the earliest. Asserting that the state government has been dilly dallying over the issue because of its financial management Bhanulal said that during its rule the left front used to sanction two installments of DA a year and in the four year period between 2013 and 2017 the left front had given 31% DA but the present government has so far given only 8% in past four and half years. “Even while giving 2.57% fitment allowance the state government has deprived a section of employees;if this continues the employees in Tripura will be the poorest paid in the country” said Bhanulal who had brought the call-attention motion along with fellow party MLA Sudhan Das.

The finance minister Jishnu Debbama who is also the deputy chief minister did not make any clear commitment on DA payment but referred to the hike in social security allowance payment from Rs 1000.00 to Rs 2000.00. However CPI (M) MLA Sudhan Das said that while hiking the rate of payment of social allowance more than 1 lakh names of beneficiaries have been dropped and condemned this.