BJP MP Dilip Ghosh on Saturday said the four per cent hike in dearness allowance announced by the West Bengal government was inadequate.

Extending his support to the members of Sangrami Joutha Mancha, who were holding a two-day sit-in near the state secretariat demanding a further hike in DA, Ghosh accused the Mamata Banerjee government of not giving permission to agitations and protests.

The Calcutta High Court on Friday permitted the Mancha, a body of a section of the state government employees, to hold a sit-in demonstration near Nabanna till 4pm of Saturday.

Ghosh, who went to the spot, said, "The state government employees are rightfully demanding a further hike in DA, announcing that the 4 per cent increase is not acceptable." Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced an four per cent DA hike from January next.

Accusing the state administration of not giving permission to agitations and protests, Ghosh claimed that one has to move the high court for permission to hold any such programme.

"If one has to move the high court for everything, then you (the Mamata Banerjee government) should resign," he said.

The BJP leader said people voted the TMC to power hoping that it would give good governance.

"You have to respect the public, listen to their grievances and try to solve them, but you do not want to pay any heed to them," he said.

Mancha members began their dharna near Nabanna from Friday morning to demand release of DA on a par with central government employees.

Organisation convenor Bhaskar Ghosh claimed even after a hike of four per cent DA, there would still be a 36 percentage-point difference between the DA of state government and central government employees.

He announced the organisation will hold a rally on January 19 to press for a further hike in DA.

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