CPI(M), Congress MLAs stage walkout from West Bengal Assembly

Opposition CPI(M) and Congress legislators on Thursday staged a walkout from the West Bengal Assembly after their demand for a discussion over non implementation of pay commission was turned down.

The demand of Left Front legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty that an adjournment motion be brought in and a discussion held on the matter was rejected by Speaker Biman Banerjee, prompting the Left Front and Congress legislators to walk out after shouting anti-government slogans.

They then staged a protest outside the House.

"There are several issues but the state government neither allows the Opposition to raise nor discuss them. Why is the state government unwilling to discuss the matter of pay commission in the assembly," Chakraborty told reporters outside the House.

The Left Front and the Congress legislators, however, joined the House proceedings in the second half.

The Sixth Pay Commission was formed on November 27, 2015, months before the 2016 Assembly election, to restructure the salary of state government employees. Headed by Prof Abhirup Sarkar, the panel was scheduled to submit its report within six months. However, it received periodic extensions. On May 28 this year it got another extension for six months.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in June this year had said the state government will decide on bridging the gap between dearness allowances (DA) of state and Central government employees after getting the recommendations from the Pay Commission.