Calcutta High Court Seeks Clear Reply on Pending DA for Aided School Teachers

The Calcutta High Court has asked the West Bengal government to give a clear and final reply on the payment of pending Dearness Allowance (DA) to teachers and non-teaching staff of government-sponsored and government-aided schools.
The order was passed on Friday by Justice Amrita Sinha while hearing a case filed by the All Bengal Teachers’ Association (ABTA) over the pending DA payments.
During the hearing, the court expressed dissatisfaction with the state government’s position and asked it to provide a clear timeline and plan for paying the pending DA. The state government has been directed to submit a detailed report by September 17.
Teachers and school employees of government-aided institutions have been demanding the pending DA for a long time. They have repeatedly raised concerns over the large difference between the DA received by state government employees and that received by them.
ABTA approached the High Court seeking clarity and payment of the pending DA. According to the organisation, the state government has already started the process of paying DA to its employees and the Finance Department has also issued a notification.
However, teachers and employees of government-aided and grant-in-aid schools have not received clear information about when they will get the benefit or why they are still being excluded.
The issue has also gained importance following proceedings in the Supreme Court over DA for state government employees. A committee has been formed to examine how the pending DA can be paid, and the committee has already submitted its proposal to the Supreme Court.
Despite these developments, uncertainty remains among employees of government-aided educational institutions.
The next hearing on September 17 is therefore being closely watched by teachers and school employees, as the state government is expected to inform the High Court about its plan and timeline for clearing their pending DA.