Will attach Delhi govt bank a/cs if MCD teachers not paid, says HC

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday warned the state government of attaching its bank accounts if it did not release funds for payment of salaries of MCD school teachers in east and north Delhi, observing it was “intolerable” not to pay the teachers.

The court asked the government to show some bona fide by paying salaries of teachers in municipal schools and said the state should treat all teachers — of MCD schools and Delhi government — at par.

Anguished over non-payment of salaries of municipal school teachers, a bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said this was “intolerable”, “improper” and “inefficient system”.

“We will attach your (government’s) bank accounts. We will stop you from paying salaries to teachers. Let all the teachers be treated at par,” the bench said.

The bench said if the Delhi government wanted to do any good for the students, who are the sufferers, it should release funds for their salaries.

It asked the AAP government to pay salaries from its funds, as of now, and said it will later decide whether it is the responsibility of the Centre or the state to pay the municipal teachers, who got their last salary for January.

The court said this when Delhi government counsel Satyakam submitted that nothing was being given to them by the Centre due to which they were unable to release funds to the municipal authorities.