Released Rs 98.35 crore to North DMC for teachers' salaries, Delhi govt tells HC

The Delhi government has submitted before the Delhi High Court that it has sanctioned and released the second instalment of grant-in-aid in favour of North Delhi Municipal Corporation amounting to Rs 98.35 crore towards the salaries of primary school teachers for the months of July and August, 2020.

The Government of NCT Delhi made the submission in an affidavit filed before the High Court on a suo motu matter related to the payment of salaries of school teachers at the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

A division bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad, after hearing the submissions, directed North DMC to ensure that salaries of the teachers, which are due, are released at the earliest.

"Besides the Grant-in-Aid received from the Delhi Government, North DMC shall also chip in by making funds available for paying the salaries of teachers teaching in schools being run by it. A fresh status report shall be filed by the North DMC within two weeks, with a copy to the counsel for the GNCTD," the bench said in its order on August 7.

Delhi government, in its affidavit, also said that it has permitted the North DMC to utilise the unspent balance of the previous year which comes to Rs 18.07 crore for the same purpose, subject to the conditions mentioned in the sanction letter dated July 27, 2020.

Advocate Pushkarna, standing counsel for the North DMC, sought more time to file a status report in the matter submitting that it could not be filed as Deputy Controller (Accounts) has tested positive for COVID-19, and as a result, his colleagues and others have quarantined themselves.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had asked the Delhi government and the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) to file fresh status reports to update it on the status of the release of funds and salaries of the North DMC school teachers.

( With inputs from ANI )