Delhi High Court pulls up EDMC for non-payment of salaries to teachers
A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subroamonium Prasad ordered the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) to make every effort to pay teachers' salaries before the next hearing date, July 22, 2022.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday pulled up East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) for non-payment of salaries to its primary school teachers.
Court was hearing a petition filed by five primary school teachers alleging that the EDMC had failed to pay them five months' salary from September 2021 to April 2022.
While showing displeasure, a division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad stated that it is very unfortunate that they are going to pass an order.
The court ordered the EDMC to make every effort to pay teachers' salaries before the next hearing date, July 22, 2022.
The petitioners sought directions to the EDMC to pay them and all other similarly situated teachers their unpaid salary for the previous five months.
Counsel for the petitioner stated that approximately 5000 primary school teachers work in as many as 365 EDMC-run primary schools, and none of the said teachers, including the petitioners, have been paid their due salaries since December 2021 and that their families are facing serious financial problems as a result, and they are unable to pay their children's school fees, EMIs, or run their kitchen, among other things.
It was also stated that the EDMC Primary Schools are governed by the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 and that Section 7 of the Right to Education Act, 2009 states that it is the joint responsibility of the Central Government and the State Government to provide funds for carrying out the provisions of the Act.
Furthermore, it was stated that the EDMC, due to inefficient operations, has created an artificial financial crunch, providing an excuse for not paying or delaying salary payments to its employees. This cannot be a valid ground because it affects the petitioners' fundamental rights to livelihood as guaranteed by Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution, as well as the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
Case Title: Satendra Kumar Nagar & Ors v. East Delhi Municipal Corporation & Ors