DA arrear strike: Bengal govt employees serve counter legal notice

KOLKATA: The joint forum of state government employees in West Bengal has sent a legal notice to the state finance department against the latter's notification indicating tough action against those who will participate in the two-day pen-down strike in demand of their pending dearness allowance arrears on Monday and Tuesday.

The notification was issued by the state finance department late Saturday evening and on Monday the joint forum sent a counter-notice to state finance secretary Manoj Panth cautioning of legal action if the state government implements the tough actions as said in the notification.

In the notification, the state government cautioned that those remaining absent from work on the two or any of the two days, the department concerned will issue a show-cause notice and in absence of a satisfactory reply, dies non (service break) will be applicable and salary will be deducted for the day or days of absence.

In the notification the state government has also made it clear that no state government employee will be allowed to opt for a casual leave on that day, with exception to those who are already on pre-approved earned leave or other leaves like child care leave or maternity leave.

Confirming the counter legal notice, a member of the forum said that senior advocate of the Calcutta High Court and the CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya is providing the necessary legal support.

"He has said clearly that the state government can at maximum deduct two-days of salary and has no legal position for further penal action on this count like termination of services. It seems that the state government is scared that movement of the DA arrears is taking a serious shape and is receiving support from all quarters of the society. So, they have issued this notification out of fear," the forum member said.