HC asks civic bodies to pay sanitation workers' salaries by March 29

The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the capital's three civic bodies to pay sanitation workers their salaries for February by March 29.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath was told by the workers' union that only few employees were paid salaries despite the court's order.

However, advocates, appearing for civic bodies, told the court that most of the employees have been paid their salaries and only five to 10 percent are left. The western civic body has paid 100 percent salaries, counsel said.

Asking the civic bodies to ensure that salaries are paid to them without any fail by March 29, the bench said: "Municipal corporations are saying there are some difficulties due to which entire funds have not been disbursed. They are saying whosoever has not been paid, will be paid within a week."

The civic bodies also asked the court to direct Delhi government to release the funds so that salaries can be given for the month of March, as corporations have no fund to pay salaries from next month.

To this, Delhi government's senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra told the court that in this issue, the central government also has certain obligations. "When the issue of powers come, the centre says we have the powers but when issue of disbursement come, the centre says the state will handle it," he said.

Mehra said Delhi government budget will be presnted on March 28 and for release of funds, the process has to be followed, adding that the government has not received a written proposal and utilisation certificate from corporations.

Employees of the national capital's three civic bodies were on strike last month over the non-payment of salaries for the past few months. However, after the court's intervention, unions agreed to call off the strike.