Delhi HC says will attach properties of North MCD to ensure salary to employees

By LE Desk

New Delhi, June 2, 2021: The Delhi High Court directed the Chairman of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to file an affidavit disclosing particulars of all movable and immovable properties owned by it, along with their estimated values, and also particulars of its bank accounts including the amounts in them as on July 1.

Directing that the affidavit be filed by July 8, the court said it was going to start attaching the municipal body’s property to ensure release of salaries to the employees, The Indian Express reported.

The court said employees and pensioners of the municipal corporations are entitled to release of their dues and cannot be told that the civic bodies do not have funds. 

“That cannot be cited as a ground for non-payment of salaries and pensions. We have already observed that the right to receive salaries and pensions constitutes a fundamental right and we have already directed the corporations to ensure timely disbursal of salaries and pensions to all classes of employees and pensioners,” the division bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said.

The court was earlier informed that in South and East Delhi Municipal Corporations, salaries and pensions of employees have been paid. However, the NDMC told the court that it has released the salary of safai karamcharis, health workers, including doctors and nurses, daily wagers employed at hospitals and other places till April and of others till March. The pensions have been paid only till February, the court was told.

The NDMC also submitted that it has addressed a representation to the Lt-Governor that finances of the three corporations may be merged while they may continue to work separately, to tide over the financial crunch. NDMC also told the court that it has approached the Centre regarding shortage of funds.

However, the court took a strong view. “This cannot go on. We cannot keep waiting for you to arrange from here or there. We are not concerned… these petitioners are not concerned whether you have the money or not. If they are your employees, either you retrench them, send them home, do whatever you want but you cannot keep these employees and not pay them. You have to do some drastic cuts. You need to lose weight. You must rationalise your force. Keep those who are necessary and remove the others,” said the bench.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-hc-says-will-attach-properties-of-north-mcd-to-ensure-salary-to-employees-7338483/