Don't make political speeches in court: High Court to Delhi govt

The Delhi High Court, which was on Wednesday hearing a batch of pleas relating to delay in payment of salaries and pensions to municipal corporations employees and retired staff, asked the Delhi government not to make political speeches in court.

Please do not make these political statements here. We will hear all-Union of India, Delhi government and MCDs, observed a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh when Delhi government counsel claimed that Delhi was not being treated at par with other states and union territories by the Centre.

The counsel also said how can they treat GNCTD with a stepmotherly treatment? It is the dirtiest politics. Why can't they directly pay to Delhi?

While responding to the remarks of the bench, senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing the Delhi government, said if this is a political speech, so be it, but we will argue on facts and show that this is correct. How can the big brother go scot-free.

According to the Delhi government, the municipal corporation of Delhi is not receiving any funds from the Central government like other municipalities in other states.

The issue involves remittance of grant-in-aid and other amounts between governments and corporations.

Mehra said when Jammu and Kashmir, Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar are given funds directly by the Centre, why they can't give them directly to Delhi.

Advocate Manu Chaturvedi, appearing for East Delhi Municipal Corporation, informed the court that the employees' unions are planning to go on strike on December 13 due to delay in payment of salaries and urged the court to pass some directions in this regard.

The court had earlier directed South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to file a status report disclosing its securities and assets as well as the details of income and expenditure from 2012 when the trifurcation of the city's municipal corporation took place.

The court was hearing a batch of petitions relating to non-payment of salaries and pensions to teachers, hospital staff, sanitation workers, engineers.