A heated exchange occurred in the Tripura Legislative Assembly on Tuesday during the third day of the session, involving Chief Minister Manik Saha and Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman over the government’s announcement of a 5 percent Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for state employees and pensioners.

The issue was raised by Roy Barman during Zero Hour after the Question and Answer session concluded. He questioned whether the DA hike had actually been approved during a cabinet meeting and urged the government to present the cabinet memorandum in the Assembly to confirm the decision.

Roy Barman noted that a cabinet meeting had taken place before the state budget was presented. However, after reviewing the budget documents, including the “Budget at a Glance” and various expenditure statements, he said he could not find any reference to the proposed increase in DA.

He argued that the cabinet memorandum should be produced in the House so members could verify if the decision had formally been part of the cabinet agenda. Drawing from his experience as a former minister, Roy Barman said he had spoken with several officials, some of whom indicated that the issue might not have been discussed in the cabinet meeting.

According to him, if the Assembly had been given incorrect information about the cabinet’s decision, it would amount to disrespect toward both the Council of Ministers and the House.

He stated that the matter could not be ignored merely to maintain decorum, adding that the Assembly appeared to have been misled. Roy Barman insisted that the claim that the DA hike had been discussed in the cabinet was incorrect and demanded that the cabinet memorandum be presented before the House.

Responding to the allegations, Chief Minister Manik Saha strongly rejected the claims and maintained that the cabinet had indeed approved the DA hike following proper procedures.

He also clarified that an announcement regarding DA does not necessarily have to be reflected directly in the budget documents. The Chief Minister said all required rules and legal procedures had been followed and assured that the relevant documents would be submitted.

Saha further criticized Roy Barman for making such accusations, saying that such statements insult the members of the government and suggesting that the opposition leader was attempting to create a political spectacle while ignoring established procedures.