DA crisis: WB govt employees allowed to protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi

Kolkata, April 8 (IANS) Representatives of joint forum of West Bengal government employees spearheading the movement against non-payment of Dearness Allowance arrears, on Saturday, claimed that they have got the permission from Delhi Police to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Monday and Tuesday.

However, the condition of the permission is that not more than 500 individuals will not be allowed at a time to participate in the sit-in agitation. On Saturday afternoon, a group of agitators, led by the joint forum convenor Bhaskar Ghosh left for New Delhi to participate in the agitation. More members of the joint forum will be leaving for the national capital later in the day or by Sunday morning.

Before leaving for Delhi on Saturday, the joint forum representatives informed the media persons about getting the permission from Delhi Police.

The matter relating to the Dearness Allowance arrears will come up for hearing at the Supreme Court's division bench of Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Sanjay Kumar, on Tuesday.

During any of the two days of the protest, the joint forum is expecting to meet President Draupadi Murmu and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar or at least any one of them to apprise of their demands.

The forum representatives also have plans to send a deputation to Union Finance Mminister Nirmala Sitharaman during any of the two days.

Meanwhile, after the division bench of Calcutta High Court advised the West Bengal government to arrange a solution meeting with the agitators by April 17, the joint forum has agreed to send a three-member delegation for the meeting.

However, the forum has set three pre-conditions for the meeting.

The conditions include withdrawal of the state government petition at the apex court challenging the verdict of a division bench of Calcutta High Court last year directing the government to clear Dearness Allowance arrears; withdrawal of show-cause notice issued to the some employees for participating in a strike last month; and finally withdrawal of the orders for punitive transfers to certain employees for participating in the strike.