Thursday, Apr 25, 2024 | Last Update : 06:24 AM IST
Delhi High Court pulls up government, MCDs over delay in salaries
A day after an MCD employee allegedly committed suicide at his house in east Delhi’s G.T.B.
A day after an MCD employee allegedly committed suicide at his house in east Delhi’s G.T.B. Enclave due to financial hardship aggravated by delayed payment of salary, the Delhi high court pulled up the Delhi government and the civic bodies, saying that it was not concerned with the dispute between the AAP government and the BJP-led three municipal corporations in the city and only wants that all employees of the civic bodies get their salaries for which it will pass appropriate orders.
“We had made it clear that we are not concerned with the disputes between the Delhi government and the municipal corporations. We only want that salaries are paid to the employees,” a bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said.
The bench said it would pass appropriate order and necessary directions on the issue pertaining to payment of salaries to the employees of the three civic bodies.
Forty five-year-old Hridesh Sharma, who worked as an attendant in a East Delhi Municipal Corporation school, committed suicide by hanging himself at his house. His body was found by his family on Tuesday morning.
During the hearing, the municipal corporations claimed before the bench that they have not yet received the entire funds from the Delhi government to pay salaries to all the employees. The bench, however, observed, “We will not go into this”.
Delhi government said they have released 50 per cent of the budget estimate and the amount, which the municipal corporations were entitled under the Municipal Reform Fund, would be released soon.
Meanwhile, EDMC officials maintained that the deceased employee was facing financial problems and was hard-pressed to meet the expenses of his family, that included his wife, mother and two children. However, they claimed that late payment of salary was not the only reason behind Sharma’s extreme step.
“His daughter’s fee totalling Rs 65,000 was due and he was also reported to be hard pressed to meet expenses like treatment and house rent, but his salary was delayed by one month only,” said a senior EDMC official. Sharma’s salary for March was released on April 22.
