Cannot, Even If You Behead Me

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said she can’t give additional dearness allowance “even if she is beheaded”. The CM blamed the Left Front regime for the current scenario.

Mamata Banerjee On Additional Dearness Allowance: West Bengal Chief Minister on Monday, while addressing the assembly, said that the government cannot give additional dearness allowance to its employees “even if she is beheaded”. Her statement comes at a time when the joint forum of the state government employees has already announced observing a strike on March 10 in demand of the DA arrears.

Mamata Blames Her Predecessors For This Situation

The Chief Minister took a swipe at the Left Party for the current scenario. In her speech at the state assembly, she said, “The previous Left Front regime denied payments of DA arrears year after year. After we came to power, we increased the DA payment manifold. How much more do you want? What else will satisfy you? If you do not like me, you can behead me.”

West Bengal Employees Enjoy More Leaves Than Other States: Mamata Banerjee

The CM also highlighted that the state government employees in West Bengal enjoy more annual leaves compared to other states. “State government employees on average enjoyed leave to the tune of 40 days every year. In states like Tripura and Uttar Pradesh, the employees there do not enjoy so many facilities,” she said.

She also claimed that the West Bengal government is still continuing with pension schemes when several other state governments had done away with them. “Huge money is going from the state exchequer for this payment of pension. What do you want? Shall we pay the DA arrears and close down the pension scheme,” she asked.

Opposition Calls Mamata’s Remark An ‘Excuse’

Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, while interacting with the media said, the state government should first try to control wasteful expenditures on accounts of festivals and fairs and concentrate on revenue generation before giving such excuses for not paying the DA arrears. “Today or tomorrow, the state government will have to pay the DA arrears as rightly pointed out by the court that getting DA is the legitimate right of the employees and not a fruit of charity,” he said.