Kolkata, Dec 21 (IANS): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced a 4 per cent hike in dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees.

Till now, state government employees were getting DA at 6 per cent, which will now go up to 10 per cent effective from January 1, 2024.

However, even after the hike, the gap in the DA rate for West Bengal government employees with their counterparts in the Union government remains at 36 percentage points. The Union government employees get DA at 46 per cent.

The joint forum of state government employees, which had been long agitating in demand of enhanced DA at par with the Union government and the arrears accrued on it, claimed that the mere 4 per cent hike is nothing but an 'eyewash'.

“When the gap still remains at 36 percentage points, this paltry hike is equivalent to alms. DA at par with the Union government employees is our legitimate right. So, we reject this paltry hike, which is nothing but an eyewash. Our movement on the issue will continue,” said joint forum convener Bhaskar Ghosh.

However, the Chief Minister has contended that while paying DA is mandatory for the Union government, in case of the state government, the payment is optional.

“The state government will have to bear an additional expenditure of Rs 2,400 crore for paying this additional 4 per cent DA. A total of 14 lakh employees will be befitted by this decision. This is our gift to the state government employees for the forthcoming Christmas and New Year festivities,” the Chief Minister said.

The leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, too ridiculed the announcement of 4 per cent DA hike.

“This miniscule increase is a mere 'lollipop' for the state government employees before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and a strategy to evade tough questions during the ensuing legal battle in the court of law. Nothing more and nothing less,” Adhikari said.