HC directs north civic body to pay doctors’ salaries

The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (North DMC) to pay the salaries of resident doctors (both juniors and seniors) in six

The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (North DMC) to pay the salaries of resident doctors (both juniors and seniors) in six hospitals of the civic body for March by June 19, while also directing the Delhi government to release funds to disburse the salaries for April.

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A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan directed the Delhi government to release the amount for the salaries by June 18 at the latest so that the money can be paid to the doctors, including those from Hindu Rao Hospital and Kasturba Gandhi hospital, by June 24.

The court’s direction comes on a plea which it had initiated itself after taking note of newspaper reports about the doctors not having received their salaries since March. It issued a notice to the Centre, Delhi government, North DMC and various doctors’ associations, seeking their stand on the Public Interest Litigation (PIL).

A detailed order is awaited in the matter which is listed for further hearing on July 8.

Appearing for the Delhi government, additional solicitor general (ASG) Sanjay Jain and additional standing counsel Satyakam told the court that they have disbursed money to the civic body for various accounts, including stamp collection.

Advocate Akhil Mittal, the standing counsel of the North DMC, told the court that they are ready to pay the salaries of the resident doctors of not just Hindu Rao and Kasturba Gandhi hospitals, but all the six hospitals run by them. He said that there are a total of 370 resident doctors in both the above-mentioned hospitals and their salaries would amount to ₹4 crore. The total amount to be disbursed by both the government and the North body for all six hospitals is ₹8 crore.

Standing committee chairperson, North corporation, Jai Prakash said, “We have had a chat with the doctors on the matter. We are making efforts to release their salaries at the earliest. We hope that their salaries will be paid in a week.”