Released Rs 98.35 cr to NrDMC for teachers' salary, Delhi govt tells HC

The Delhi HC was informed by the Delhi government that it has released Rs 98.35 crore to North Delhi Municipal Corporation for paying salaries to 9,000 teachers, for July and August.

The Delhi High court was informed by the Delhi government that it has released Rs 98.35 crore to North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NrDMC) for paying salaries to 9,000 teachers, engaged by the civic body, for July and August.

The Delhi government also said it has permitted the NrDMC to utilise the unspent balance of Rs 1,807.10 lakh of previous year for the purpose of paying salaries of the teachers.

A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad was hearing a suo motu PIL initiated by the high court with regard to the disbursement of unpaid salaries of teachers employed in schools run by the NrDMC.

The high court had initiated the PIL in June after hearing the petition filed on behalf of NrDMC teachers by Akhil Dilli Prathmik Shikshak Sangh, seeking direction to the authorities to pay the salaries which were due since March, when the nationwide lockdown was imposed.

As Rs 98.35 crore has been released by the Delhi government in favour of NrDMC under the scheme of Primary Education, the civic body shall ensure that salary dues of the teachers from May onwards shall be cleared at the earliest, the bench said.

Besides the Grant-in-Aid received from the Delhi Government, NrDMC shall also chip in by making funds available for paying the salaries of teachers teaching in schools being run by it, the bench said and directed the civic authority to file a fresh status report within two weeks.

The court listed the matter for further hearing on September 1.

The court was earlier informed by the NrDMC that it had paid salaries to all 9,000 teachers engaged by the civic body till March and 5,406 teachers, who are put on COVID-19 duty, have been given their dues for April.

The NrDMC had blamed the Delhi government for not releasing Grant-In-Aid to the civic body due to which it is unable to pay the salaries of its employees.

The Delhi government had said that the Grant-In-Aid payable by it to the NrDMC for release of salaries to its teachers was Rs 147 crore for the first quarter, April to June, and it has been released in three monthly tranches.

While initiating the PIL on June 26, the bench had remarked that teachers deployed on COVID-19 duty can be equated to corona warriors and was displeased that their salaries have not been paid since March.

The bench, on June 18, had directed the NrDMC to pay arrears of salaries within a week, saying the teachers cannot be made to run from pillar to post for their lawful dues.