Release funds to east and north MCD: HC to AAP govt

The Delhi High Court today asked the AAP government to release funds required by the municipal corporations of east and north Delhi to pay the salaries and pensions of all their employees, working and retired, from November last year.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said there was no stay on its April 16 direction to the Delhi government to pay within one month the amounts according to the recommendations of the 4th Delhi Finance Commission (DFC) and the order has to be complied with.

The court said the government can transfer the money to the two corporations without prejudice to its rights and contentions.

The direction by the bench came while hearing a plea moved by the Delhi government seeking review of the court's April 16 decision.

The court said it will hear the review plea on the date already fixed, August 28.

The Delhi government has sought review of the order on the ground that the recommendations of the DFC are mainly advisory and not binding on it.

Besides, the government also told the court that the amount of money to be disbursed is an executive function.

The court on April 16 had told the Delhi government to disburse the amounts and not make it an ego issue.

It had observed that despite having the funds, the Delhi government did not appear willing to implement the 4th DFC, under which the civic bodies have been allocated more funds than they are receiving at present.

The direction had come while hearing a batch of writ petitions on providing adequate funds to all the local bodies, including the three municipal corporations, to enable their proper functioning.