Delhi High Court Summons Finance And Urban Development Secretaries, MCD Commissioner Over Unpaid Salaries Of Employees, Teachers

The Delhi High Court on Monday summoned Finance and Urban Development Secretaries of the Delhi Government and Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi over failure to make payment of salaries to various employees, safaikaramcharis and teachers of the civic body.

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said that it is unfortunate that class III and IV employees are not being paid despite assurance of making payments “from time to time.”

The court noted that on December 21, 2022, the counsels appearing for contemnors, Delhi Government and MCD had jointly stated that all payments will be released as soon as possible, preferably within four weeks.

Expressing displeasure over non payment of salaries to the employees, the court said:

“It is also strange that the pensioners are also not receiving the pensions and they are hand to mouth. This court is left with no choice but to direct personal appearance of Commissioner of MCD, Finance Secretary and Secretary of Urban Development of the GNCTD.”

The matter will now be heard on February 2.

The court was hearing a bunch of pleas moved in 2020, the wake of COVID-19, over non payment of salaries to various employees of MCD, previously bifurcated as NDMC, SDMC and EDMC.

Some of the pleas are moved by retired employees of the civic body raising a grievance that their pensions were not being released.

Title: Court on its own motion v. Union of India and other connected matters