Agartala, March 17, 2028: The Tripura Legislative Assembly witnessed a tense confrontation on Tuesday between Chief Minister Prof. Dr. 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 employees and pensioners.

Raising the matter during Zero Hour, Roy Barman questioned whether the cabinet had formally approved the DA hike. He demanded that the government place the cabinet memorandum before the House, arguing that budget documents contained no reference to the increase.

The Congress legislator alleged that officials had indicated the proposal was not part of cabinet discussions, warning that misleading the Assembly would amount to disrespecting both the Council of Ministers and the House. “The claim that the issue was discussed in the cabinet is absolutely false. Such practices should not happen,” he asserted.

Responding sharply, Chief Minister Dr. Saha maintained that the cabinet had indeed cleared the decision and insisted that DA announcements need not be reflected in budget papers. “All rules and legal procedures have been followed. By making such allegations, you are insulting everyone. You often try to create a political stunt and appear unaware of the rules,” he said.

The exchange underscored growing friction in the Assembly over transparency in government decisions, with opposition members pressing for documentary proof of the cabinet’s approval.