Delhi, India: The Delhi High Court has sought a response from the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Government on its failure to clear the arrears of law researchers working with the High Court judges. The Court was hearing a plea filed by a group of law researchers working with the High Court judges.
The aggrieved law researchers seek implementation of the Chief Justice of the Delhi Court’s orders passed on August 24, 2018, and September 3, 2019. The remuneration for the law researchers was initially fixed at Rs 25,000 which was later enhanced to Rs 35,000 by the order passed on September 18, 2017. The remuneration was further enhanced to Rs 50,000 vide order dated August 24, 2018, and to Rs 65,000 vide order dated September 3, 2019.
The Court noted, “The grievance of the Law Researchers who are before the Court, is that they were functioning as Law Researchers during the relevant periods and the arrears has not been paid to them. Through RTI applications, it has been revealed that financial sanction for payment of arrears has not been issued by the GNCTD. Accordingly, the present writ petition has been filed seeking release of arrears in terms of the remuneration fixed by the High Court to the Petitioners and to other Law Researchers.”
Furthermore, the Court issued a notice to the Delhi Government. The Court instructed the Delhi Government’s counsel to take instructions in the matter and “place on record the reasons as to why sanction has not been issued in respect to the arrears liable to be paid to Law Researchers who were discharging their duties at the relevant point of time.”
The Court asked the Delhi Government to file an affidavit, or status report, by May 15.
Delhi Government avoids payment for Sardar Patel Covid Centre
On March 24, the Court said it is a “very sorry state of affairs” that the Arvind Kejriwal-led Government is are “trying to avoid their responsibility for making payments towards the construction of the largest COVID care facility with 10,000 beds.”
The Court observed, “Even after two years of successful completion of the work, the petitioner’s case for issuance of work orders has not seen the light of the day and the respondents are passing buck from one Department to another.”
The Court added, “Inspite of having undertaken the work of providing the services of Air conditioning, donning and doffing of the roof, water proofing of the roof, electricals to the entire system, infrastructure for the blood banks for the COVID care facility, the respondents have till date failed to even issue the work order to the petitioner for the work undertaken by it in construction of the so-called largest COVID care facility during such testing times.”
Doctors in Delhi go on strike over unpaid dues
Doctors in Delhi working at Rajan Babu and Hindu Rao hospitals went on strike on February 6 over unpaid dues and other long-standing issues. Earlier, doctors at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) Kasturba Hospital had issued a strike warning over pending salaries since October 2022.
“We also feel humiliation, while asking parents and friends for money, despite working in a reputed hospital which is supposed to pay for work we do here. Many of us are sole earners in our families with many dependents,” reported the Indian Express report quoting letters as saying.
Further, they added that due to low bank balances, they were losing out on interest and fined for the negative balance. Along with the delayed salary, anxiety over job insecurity also took a toll, as many were on 44-day contracts. “We live in fear of losing our job as contract hoc culture is intentionally designed to deprive workers of benefits that come with regular/permanent employment,” the letter added.
Doctors said, “Lack of access to clean water at the workplace adversely affects the working condition. Rat, ticks, mosquito and mould-infested DDRs also contribute to this problem.”
Delhi University Teachers’ Association
In September 2022, the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) urged the Government of India to take over colleges run by the Delhi Government claiming that teachers were not getting proper salaries due to budget cuts while political activists were being appointed as heads of governing bodies.
DUTA chief A K Bhagi also claimed that teachers had even held demonstrations outside Chief Minister Kejriwal’s house but to no avail.
“Due to fund deficit, pay cut of teachers is happening since last two yrs in 12 colleges under Delhi government. We’ve held demonstrations outside CM’s house, gone to Deputy CM, nobody listened to us. We want the Central govt to take these colleges under its wings,” Bhagi said. The teachers’ body took a strong stance after the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College told staff members that a part of their salaries was being withheld due to fund-crunch.
“This problem has been going on for 5 years, earlier funds were delayed, but funds are being cut for the last two years. At present, there is a deficit of about 85 to 90 crores in 12 colleges funded by the Delhi government,” said Bhagi.
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