New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed the North Delhi Municipal Corporation to file utilization certificate for Rs 8 crores to be released for the payment of stipend/emoluments to resident doctors from March 2020, in a plea filed regarding the issue of payment of salary to the Resident Doctors in Delhi.
A divisional bench of the Delhi HC comprising the Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan appreciated the stand taken by the GNCTD for further release of an amount of ₹8 crores irrespective of the proper proposal to be given by the North DMC in a proper format.
The Court took cognizance in this matter to deal with the issue pertaining to outstanding payment of salary/stipend to the resident doctors in Delhi.
Counsel appearing for the North DMC submitted that “they have paid the salaries to the regular doctors up to April 2020 and to the resident doctors up to May 2020.”
The counsel further added they have already approached the Delhi Government to release further amounts and necessary paperwork has already been done. Proposals have already been placed before the GNCTD and therefore GNCTD may be directed to release at least the amount towards the salaries for the doctors.
Whereas, the counsel appearing for the Delhi Government submitted that “North DMC is being regularly paid the legally payable amount and approximately an amount of ₹136 crores has been released to them in the past, for which no utilization certificate has been furnished by North DMC.”
“So far as ‘Grant-in-Aid’ amount is concerned, which is to be given by the health department of the GNCTD, the amount under the head ‘salary’ will be released as soon as possible upon receipt of the proposal from the North DMC, and the same may be utilized towards payment of salaries and towards payment of stipend/emoluments for the regular doctors as well as for all the resident doctors of Government hospitals being run, managed and operated by North DMC” he added.
Whereas, the Court directed North DMC to make the payment of stipend/emoluments from the amount received as ‘Grant-in-Aid – salary’ from the Health and Family Welfare Department, GNCTD to the resident doctors of the following Government hospitals, which are being owned, managed and operated by North DMC:-
(i) Hindu Rao Hospital.
(ii) Kasturba Hospital.
(iii) Rajendra Babu Institute of Pulmonary Medicine and Tuberculosis Hospital.
(iv) Maharishi Valmiki in Infections Diseases Hospital.
(v) Mrs. Girdhar Lal Maternity Hospital.
(vi) Balak Ram Hospital.
The Court further directed the Delhi Government to release the said amount of Rs. 8 Crore within 15 days from today to North DMC and shall be utilized by North DMC only for the purpose of payment of stipend/emoluments to the resident doctors of the aforesaid hospitals.
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The bench further added that “All these arrangements are tentative in nature and no rights and liabilities have been fixed by this Court.”
-India Legal Bureau