India, Feb. 6 -- In a relief to nearly 20 lakh Government employees, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the West Bengal Government to pay dearness allowance to them for the 2008-to-2019 period, saying it is a legally-enforceable right.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra directed the state Government to pay 25 per cent of the outstanding DA to its employees by March 6.

The court said once DA is defined by linking it to the All-India Consumer Price Index (AICPI) as in the statutory rules, the state could not modify the manner of calculating it through later office memoranda.

"To receive dearness allowance is a legally-enforceable right that has accrued in favour of the respondents-employees of the State of Wes...