The Delhi government cannot say they have no obligation towards the three municipal corporations in the city with regard to payment of salaries to employees of three civic bodies, Delhi High Court said today.
"It (the municipal bodies) is part of Delhi only. What does the Centre have to do with it? The Centre has nothing to do with it," a bench of Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath observed.
Maintaining that here it was small issue relating to payment of salaries to municipal employees, it asked why cannot the Delhi government pay.
"It is a local authority of Delhi," the bench orally said on Delhi government's contention that they paid the salaries, what was expected from them.
Delhi government said the Centre too cannot shy from its obligations, even as the civic bodies claimed that funds were not being released by the Delhi government.
After hearing the counsel for all the parties, the court said that it would pass an appropriate order on April 18.
The court was hearing a PIL by one Birender Sangwan, who has sought lifting of garbage littered on streets due to safai karamchaaris' strike in January and that the stir be called off as it was causing hardship to public. The employees had called off the strike after their salaries till the month of January this year were paid.
Another petition by D P Chandel, President of the Indian National Trade Union Congress, had sought directions to Delhi government and EDMC to release arrears as per the 6th Pay Commission to employees of the civic body.
The plea, also by Rakesh Vaid, its General Secretary, had sought release of salaries in the first week of each month.
In January end, another petitioner Rahul Birla had moved the court when safai karamchaaris had gone on strike, claiming that the authorities were not paying salaries and arrears since 2003 to the MCD workers.
He said that workers of North, South and East Delhi Municipal Corporations had gone on strike in 2015 too leading to "accumulation of garbage for number of days at different places which made the lives of people pathetic and miserable".
