‘Not performing civic functions’: Delhi HC orders SDMC to reveal expenses since trifurcation

A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh, while hearing a bunch of pleas on the non-payment of salaries to the civic body employees, also directed SDMC to devise a self-sustaining financial mechanism while continuing to discharge its municipal functions.

The Delhi high court on Wednesday directed the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to file a status report disclosing its securities and assets as well as the details of income and expenditure since the trifurcation of the city’s three civic bodies in 2012.

The court noted that even though the salaries constituted the maximum part of SDMC’s expenditure, hardly any money was being spent on services. (HT file photo)

A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh, while hearing a bunch of pleas on the non-payment of salaries to the civic body employees, also directed SDMC to devise a self-sustaining financial mechanism while continuing to discharge its municipal functions.

The court noted that even though the salaries constituted the maximum part of SDMC’s expenditure, hardly any money was being spent on services.

“What is paining me is that you are not performing municipal functions. You are only paying salaries and pensions. Look at the state the city is in today. Salaries are beginning to be such a huge figure in the scheme of things. You are a municipality. Your primary function should be municipal,” justice Singh said.

“It has to be a self-sustaining mechanism. We are (entertaining) because common man should not suffer. It does not seem correct to me,” he added.

Appearing for the SDMC, its counsel, sought four weeks to place on record the roadmap to augment the municipal corporation’s resources and income.

Additional solicitor general KM Nataraj, who also appeared for SDMC, urged the court to direct the Delhi government to release some amount subject to orders as was released earlier in favour of the North MCD.

The court, however, said, “You file account from 2012. You have to disclose securities and assets”. It questioned as to when SDMC would pay the salaries to the categories of employees in question for the month of July since salaries till only June had been paid.

SDMC council Divya Prakash Pande said that while efforts were being made, since SDMC was short on funds, he could not give them a precise date.

“Our heart goes out to the employees who are not being paid,” the court said.

Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing the Delhi government, contended that the SDMC ought to have given the account of its income and expenditure from the time the trifurcation took place and not 2016.

“The report is incomplete. These are three years and trifurcation happened in 2012,” he argued adding that SDMC was yet to comply with the July 8 order directing the civic bodies to list out steps taken to augment their resources.