A platform of state government employees Thursday called for two-day cease work on February 20 and 21 in protest against the "meagre" hike in their DA.

A spokesperson of 'Sangrami Joutho Manch' said that it will not deviate from the path of agitation till the dearness allowance is hiked adequately and the gap between the central and state DA is bridged.

The Manch comprises 18 state government employees organisations from both Left and Right.

Central government employees get DA at 38 per cent of their basic salary. The state employees after a three per cent hike will get DA at six per cent of their basic salary. The hike of three per cent DA was announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The spokesperson, who was speaking to reporters at the Manch's sit-in venue near Shahid Minar in the heart of the city, said that state government employees at the secretariats, state government offices in districts and blocks will observe cease work on February 20 and 21.

"We are not seeking alms. The three per cent DA hike announced by the CM, who read out from a chit in the Assembly, is like throwing alms to beggars. We want the 32 per cent gap between central and state DAs to be bridged immediately. We want the full amount of DA," the spokesperson said.

He said as part of the protest the state employees will wear black badges on February 17 in all offices during work. "We are holding the sit-in near Sahid Minar for 21 days on the DA issue, but this government is ignoring the legitimate demand of the state employees. We want to be paid the same amount of DA as the central government employees and not peanuts," he said.

TMC deputy chief whip in Assembly, Tapas Roy told PTI, "The state government employees should realise that the government does not harbour any revengeful attitude towards them. Our state is going through a financial crisis and once we come out of this situation they will get the full DA. The state is yet to emerge from the situation".

BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya told PTI, "We express solidarity with the state government employees." Alleging that the Mamata Banerjee government is indulging in unplanned expenditure and "playing to the gallery" by announcing schemes, he said, "There is no provision in the state budget regarding the DA hike."

"This government is not serious about effecting a hike in DA in a proper manner for the state government employees and bridge the disparity (with the central government employees). If BJP comes to power in the state, we will remove the disparity," he added.

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