West Bengal to amend teacher transfer rule

The Bengal government will amend transfer rules to ensure school and college teachers, particularly women, are posted in districts where their spouses work, education minister Partha Chatterjee said at a Teachers' Day programme on Wednesday.

West Bengal Colleges (Transfer of Employees) Rules, 2017

If there is no vacancy in the district to which such a transfer is sought, the teacher will be posted in an adjacent district, Chatterjee said.
West Bengal School Service Commission (General Transfer etc.) Rules 2015

"The government has decided to bring in certain changes in the existing transfer rules to make it easier to offer posting to teachers in institutions located in areas close to the places where their spouse live. How can teachers concentrate on teaching if they have to spend most of the time of the day commuting?" Chatterjee said.
West Bengal School Service Commission (Mutual Transfer) Rules 2012

According to the minister, "certain procedural problems" came in the way of clearing such transfers. "The amendment aims to remove these lapses."

Teachers staying far from their families tend to take frequent leave to be with their families, affecting the academic activities of their institutions, a senior official said.

Chatterjee cited an example. "It is not possible for someone in Jhargram to travel to Kalyani (220km away) every day to attend school or college. The teacher will spend the whole day travelling and have no time to improve the teaching and the learning process in the institution," he said.

The minister handed out Siksha Ratna awards to 60 teachers of universities, colleges and schools at the Teachers' Day event.

Source : The Telegraph

Telengana announced one installment of Dearness Allowance

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Monday gave his nod for one installment of DA to the government employees. The government has been pending the sanction of two DAs for eight months. An official release from the Chief Minister’s Office said that the Chief Minister signed on the concerned file to release 1.572 per cent DA with a cumulative total of 27.248 per cent with effect January 1, 2018.
The Chief Minister even before his blockbuster meeting - Pragati Nivedana Sabha – began clearing administrative files. The CM’s focus on clearing files created a buzz in political circles and media that KCR may go in for dissolution of state Assembly and seek early elections. Nevertheless, the CM promised to address the issues related to the state staff. 

Clearing of one installment of DA appears to be one such initiative. Official sources said that the last installment of the DA will be sanctioned before the announcement of Interim Relief (IR) under the new Pay Revision Commission (PRC) which will come into effect by this year-end.

AICPIN for July 2018

According to Laour Bureau Press Release, All India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (AICPIN-IW) for July 2018 increased by 10 points and reached 301.
On 1 month percentage change, it increased by 3.44% between June 2018 and July 2018.

Calcutta High Court ruled that DA Is Legal Right Of Govt Employees

Calcutta High Court division bench of justice Debashish Kar and Justice Shekhar Boby Saraf on Friday dismissed SAT’s report which has stated the Dearness Allowance is not the right of the employees rather a relief by government. But the court has criticised and dismissed the facts and figures provided by them.

According to ROPA Act, DA is the right of the employees. State government employees supposed to get the Dearness Allowance.

Also Read : Expecte Pay Scale as per sixth Pay Commission

High Court sent back the case to State Administrative Tribunal to re examine following two issues and decide within two months.
1) Whether state employees are entitled to get D.A. as per central rate and 
2) State Govt. employees posted in Delhi and Chennai are in receipt of D.A at higher rate. This is against the principal of parity. Whether state employees belonging to the same posts, posted in the state will get D.A. as per this higher rate ?

High Court likely to decide on West Bengal D.A. today

Update : Click here for the verdict
Calcutta High Court likely to deliver it's verdict soon on the issue of pending D.A. to state Govt. employees of West Bengal. Earlier State Tribunal dismissed the plea of the employees citing reason that D.A. can not be demanded as a matter of right but depends on the mercy of the Govt. Aggrieved by this decision, employees knocked the door of Calcutta High Court and after long rounds of hearing, the Court is supposed to deliver judgement today.
Based on the observations of the Court, employees are feeling verdict in their favour. According to sources, if the judgement asks the sate to clear pending DAs, the state may explore the possibility of implementing pay commission award which is already overdue.
Stay tuned for further updates.