The AAP government was today asked by the Delhi High Court to deposit the entire amount that would be payable under the increased minimum wages to the drivers of buses plying under the DIMTS cluster scheme, as hundreds of drivers remained on strike for a second-day over poor pay.
The direction to the Transport Department of the Delhi government came from a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar which noted that the general public must be in great difficulty due to the strike and it needs to be brought to an end.
The bench asked the transport department to deposit in court the money by March 19 in accordance with its order of December 6 last year and listed the matter for further hearing on March 21.
The order came on a plea moved by some concessionaires, who run around 2,000 buses in the national capital under the cluster scheme, claiming that the court's December 6 order to pay the hiked minimum wages to their drivers has not yet been implemented by the transport department.
The court asked the concessionaires, who have sought initiation of contempt action against the department, to furnish bonds of two sureties for the amount that the government would deposit.
Angered by non-compliance of its order, the bench had yesterday summoned the Transport Commissioner to be present in court today.
The Commissioner, who was present in court today, was told by the court to do her job as per the rules and not to worry about the consequences.
"It requires courage. Do not be scared. If you are scared, then don't join the service," the bench said to the official.
One of the concessionaires -- A B Grain Spirits Pvt Ltd -- told the court that all of its drivers were on strike and they have been joined by staff of other concessionaires as well.
The court in its December 6 order of last year had said the Delhi government cannot treat the drivers, provided by concessionaires running the cluster buses, differently from the conductors being supplied by state-run agencies like the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) and the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).
It had asked the government to make necessary amendments in the concessionaire agreement, with regard to the amount payable in terms of the minimum wage notifications issued, and to "consequently increase the wages".
The bench had said that the petitioners (concessionaires) shall calculate the amount payable and a copy of the calculation sheet be given to the government which "shall effect payment of the amount".
Reportedly, of the over 5,500 public transport buses in the national capital, about 2,000 run under the cluster scheme and the remaining are run by the DTC.
As per the minimum wages scheme, a skilled person ought to receive a pay of Rs 16,182 per month while semi-skilled Rs 14,698.
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