HC tells Delhi govt to give North body ₹8 crore in 15 days

nNEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Wednesday asked the Delhi government to release funds to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation for the payments of stipend or emoluments to resident doctors in the six hospitals run by the civic body.

A bench of chief justice DN Patel and justice Prateek Jalan asked the Delhi government to release within 15 days ₹8 crore to pay salaries for June, as it had done earlier last month on the court’s orders, to the North corporation without waiting for the completion of paperwork, so that resident doctors can be paid.

The bench made it clear that the amount being released was meant solely for paying stipends or emoluments of resident doctors in the body’s six hospitals. It also directed the corporation to complete all paperwork in relation to the Delhi government’s fund disbursal.

The government did not comment on the matter.

The additional standing counsel of the Delhi government, Satyakam, told the court that the corporation has not given the utilisation certificates for the funds released earlier.

However, the HC made it clear it was not going into the other issues between the Delhi government and corporation with regard to payment of salaries of other employees of north corporation and funds it claims it is yet to receive under various heads.

The high court was hearing a plea it had initiated itself based on news reports that doctors of Kasturba Hospital have not been paid salaries since March this year.