The High Court on Wednesday asked the Delhi government to respond to North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s contention that it has not released entire funds for the first quarter of this financial year for paying salary to employees, including resident doctors.
A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan expressed concern over ‘corona warriors’ not getting their salary or remuneration on time.
The North body stated that around ₹162 crore was due to the corporationin the first quarter of financial year 2020-21 and of that, only ₹27 crore has been sanctioned.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain, appearing for the Delhi government, disputed the contention saying that in its report filed on July 7, the amounts released to the corporation by various departments have been indicated. The ASG said all dues have been cleared by the Delhi government.
The court also clarified that in this particular case, it was only dealing with the non-payment of salaries of the resident doctors of hospitals run by the North body and not all of its doctors and other employees. It had initiated the case on its own based on news reports that doctors of Kasturba Gandhi Hospital have threatened to resign as they have not been paid salaries since March this year.
Mr. Jain told the High Court during the hearing that the Delhi government has released ₹8 crore to the corporation for payment of the April salary of resident doctors.
Delhi government also said that paying salaries of the doctors and other employees of the corporation was the sole responsibility of the civic body as the Delhi government only releases funds which it is obliged to as per budget estimate of the financial year.
