Agartala, March 17: An intense exchange occurred between Chief Minister Prof Dr Manik Saha and Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman on March 17 during the third day of the Tripura Legislative Assembly, centring on the government’s declaration of Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for state employees and pensioners.
During the Zero Hour, immediately after the Question and Answer session, Roy Barman demanded that the cabinet memorandum be placed before the House to confirm whether a proposed 5 percent DA increase had been approved in the cabinet meeting. He noted that the budget documents, including the “Budget at a Glance” and expenditure statements, made no reference to the DA proposal.
Roy Barman contended that some officials he had interacted with indicated the matter had not been discussed in the cabinet, suggesting that the Assembly may have been misinformed. He urged ministers to submit the memorandum to uphold transparency and accountability, stating that failing to do so would amount to disrespect toward the Council of Ministers and the House.
Responding sharply, Chief Minister Saha affirmed that the DA decision had been taken by the cabinet and that all procedural requirements were duly followed. He clarified that announcements regarding DA need not be directly reflected in budget documents.
“The decision was taken in the cabinet and all relevant documents will be submitted. There is no direct relationship between the budget and the announcement of DA. All rules and legal procedures have been followed. By making such allegations, you are insulting everyone,” the Chief Minister asserted, while accusing Roy Barman of attempting a political stunt.
