An angry exchange erupted between Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha and Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman in the Tripura Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, after Roy Barman challenged the government’s claim that the cabinet had approved a 5 percent Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for state employees and pensioners. Roy Barman demanded that the cabinet memorandum be placed before the House to confirm whether the DA decision was formally taken.
Speaking during Zero Hour shortly after the Question-and-Answer session, Roy Barman said a cabinet meeting had been held before the presentation of the budget, but he could not find any reference to the proposed DA hike in budget documents, including the Budget at a Glance and expenditure statements. He pressed ministers to produce the cabinet paper on the floor of the Assembly for verification.
Roy Barman told the House he had spoken to several officials during his tenure as a minister, some of whom indicated the DA matter had not been discussed in cabinet. He argued that if the Assembly had been misinformed, it would amount to a disrespect to the Council of Ministers and the House, and insisted on transparency. “The House appears to have been misled. The claim that the issue was discussed in the cabinet is absolutely false,” he said.
Responding sharply, Chief Minister Manik Saha maintained that the cabinet had indeed taken the decision and that proper procedures had been followed. “The decision was taken in the cabinet and all relevant documents will be submitted,” he said, adding that an announcement on DA need not necessarily appear directly in budget papers and that all rules and legal procedures had been observed. Saha accused Roy Barman of staging a political stunt and of being unaware of the rules.
The dispute leaves unanswered whether the cabinet memorandum will be tabled immediately; ministers were urged by the opposition member to produce documentary proof to settle questions important to government employees and pensioners awaiting the DA/DR decision.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/tripura/story/5-per-cent-da-hike-row-rocks-tripura-assembly-congress-seeks-cabinet-memo-cm-hits-back-1361019-2026-03-17?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-03-17 14:08:00
