Updated 15 January 2021 at 21:12 IST
Delhi HC pulls up civic officials for 'living like lords', withholding salaries of staff
The Delhi HC directed the civic bodies to prioritize to pay pending salaries suggesting to cut salaries being paid to senior officers and councillors.
Amid the row over non-payment of salaries to healthcare and frontline workers, the Delhi High Court on Friday while hearing a batch of pleas reprimanded the officials of civic bodies for "living like lords" and making lower grade workers "suffer." Expressing its displeasure over the non-payment of salaries and pensions of doctors, nurses, and sanitation staff, the Delhi HC bench, headed by Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli directed the civic bodies to prioritize to pay their pending salaries suggesting to cut salaries being paid to senior officers and councillors.
"Person working at the top of corporations are living like lords. When people at the top feel the pinch, then there would be some change," observed the Delhi HC.
Demanding details of expenses incurred on top officials of the civic bodies, the HC pulled up civic bodies for citing "paucity of funds" amid the Coronavirus pandemic, saying that it could not be taken as an excuse for non-payment of salaries and pensions. Noting that salaries were a fundamental right under the Constitution, the Court observed that non-payment of salaries affected the quality of life that people were living. The matter has been listed for further hearing on January 21.
Meanwhile, protesting against the non-payment of dues, hundreds of employees of the three municipal corporations are expected to hold a protest march from Civic Centre to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's house. "Salaries of so many people, including those who have retired recently, have not been paid for the last few months. And, then they ask us to go on COVID duty. We have decided to boycott vaccination duty," said A P Khan, convener of MCD Employees Union.
On Thursday, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain had stated that the Delhi government was releasing Rs 938 crores to pay the salaries of MCD employees.
(With Agency Inputs; PTI Image)
Published By : Ananya Varma
Published On: 15 January 2021 at 21:12 IST