On Saturday, the Delhi High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of non-payment of salary to the Resident Doctors of MCD hospital and issued notice for the same to Central Government, Delhi Government and North Delhi Municipal Corporation and other respondents.

The Court has taken up the matter in view of the news reports published in various newspapers/news channels.

The reports stated that nearly 300 resident doctors in two MCD hospitals, Hindu Rao and Kasturba, were threatening mass resignations or strike as a result of non-payment of salaries for the last three months.

North DMC submitted before the Court that salaries had not been paid to the resident doctors i.e. Junior Residents, Senior Residents and PG Doctors in MCD hospitals since March 2020 due to financial constraints.They claimed that they had limited means and had to pay salaries to various other employees including Safai Karamcharis, Maalis, Drivers etc.

Though North DMC assured that the payment of outstanding salaries for the month of March 2020 would be paid to Junior Residents, Senior Residents as well as to PG doctors on or before June 19, 2020.

On the other hand, the Delhi Government submitted that they have already disbursed the legally payable amount to North DMC and were ready to provide even an additional amount for payment of salary to the resident doctors of all six hospitals by June 18.

The Court, in backdrop of the Govt's submission stated that the amount given by it shall be utilized by North DMC for the payment of outstanding remuneration for the month of April 2020 and the amount shall not be retained unnecessarily.

The Court stated:

"The adjustment of the accounts can always be done at later stage but the salary is required to be paid on priority to the resident doctors. This arrangement has been made as a special case for the resident doctors keeping in mind the non-payment of salary since March, 2020 considering the current pandemic situation."

The Court further added:

"So far as payment of outstanding salary for the month of March, 2020 is concerned, the same shall be given to the Junior Residents, Senior Residents and PG doctors in their bank accounts by 5 p.m. on 19th June, 2020. So far as the outstanding payment for the month of April, 2020 is concerned, the payment shall be made to all the resident doctors on or before 5 p.m. on 24th June, 2020."

The order has been delivered by a bench comprising of Chief Justice DN Patel and Prateek Jalan on 12-06-2020.

Read Order Here:

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