Delhi high court tells north MCD to clear teachers’ salaries

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the North Delhi Municipal to clear within a week the arrears of salaries of teachers who have not been paid

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the North Delhi Municipal to clear within a week the arrears of salaries of teachers who have not been paid since lockdown started in March, stating that “they cannot be made to run from pillar to post for their lawful dues”.

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A bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad also rejected the contention of the civic body that it was not being able to give salaries due to the paucity of funds and termed it “most unacceptable”.

“We are of the opinion that the teachers cannot be made to run from pillar to post only to demand their lawful dues from the North DMC. Admittedly, the North DMC appears to be in default and has not released the salaries to the appellants/teachers since the lockdown was declared,” the bench said.

The court was hearing a plea filed by the Akhil Dilli Prathmik Shikshak Sangh, representing the teachers who are teaching in North DMC schools, through its counsel Ranjit Sharma.

In their plea, the teachers have contended that they have not got salaries since March. They said they were forced to approach the Delhi High Court because the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) was not functional.

Appearing for the North DMC, its counsel told the court that the CAT was hearing urgent matters. She said the civic body is facing a paucity of funds and has not been able to disburse the salaries.

The court said, “The explanation sought to be offered about the paucity of funds, is most unacceptable, particularly when the counsel for North DMC is not in a position to make a statement that on account of a cash crunch faced by the civic authority, it could not release the salaries of its officers working within the department or that the salaries have been partly released. The axe cannot fall on the appellants/ teachers alone”.

The plea had challenged a June 9 order of a single judge dismissing their plea to direct North DMC to release their salaries that have not been paid since March 2020, when a nationwide lockdown was declared by the Central Government on account of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Sangh told the high court that the teachers had been discharging their duties with responsibility in schools being run by the North DMC, but they have not received their salaries ever since March.

The bench listed the matter for June 26 and asked the North DMC to file a compliance report of its order.