Delhi High Court to govt, MCDs: Your responsibility to pay salaries

The court’s comment came after the counsel for the EDMC argued that Municipal Reform Funds (MRF) had not been released by the Delhi government.

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The Delhi government counsel, on the other hand, told the court that the basic tax assignment (BTA) for the year 2015-16 had been released, and nearly 50 per cent of the BTA for the year 2016-17, which should have been released by September, had been released on May 25.

The court noted that while salaries had been paid to North and South municipal corporation employees, the East corporation was yet to pay its employees. The court directed the three corporations to pay the salaries of the employees, and refused to accept the argument of EDMC counsel Mini Pushkarna that more funds were required.

The lawyer for the EDMC also attempted to argue that the funds allocated by the Delhi government were on the basis of the Third Finance Commission and not sufficient.

The court, however, observed that the allocation of funds was “to be resolved between the Delhi government and MCD” and the court “was not concerned about the dispute”.

The bench said it would issue final directions on the issue pertaining to payment of salaries to MCD employees, and reserved its judgment.