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Synopsis

The Delhi High Court has recently directed the chief executive officer of Delhi Waqf Board to come before it and explain the reasons for non-payment of salaries to board employees for several months in spite of a court order directing clearance of the outstanding dues.

The bench of Justice Jyoti Singh said that the plea by the Delhi Waqf Board Employees depicted a "very sorry" state of affairs as admittedly the employees had not received their salaries for nearly nine months.

“The authorities were ‘totally insensitive’ to the plight of the employees who were finding it difficult to make two ends meet”, the court said.

“Prima facie this Court is of the view that Respondents (Chief Executive Officer Delhi Waqf Board & Ors.) have scant regard even for the orders passed by this Court since despite an assurance given on the last date of hearing that the dues will be cleared within two weeks even today there is no certainty as to when the Petitioners will receive their salaries”, the court added.

Justice Singh further said that now the “usual and casual response” was that the matter was under consideration and there was a deficiency of funds.

Accordingly, the court listed the matter for further consideration on July 11.

Notably in April, the court directed the Delhi government and the Delhi Waqf Board authorities to pay board employees' overdue salaries and other benefits within two weeks.

The court was hearing a plea filed by the Delhi Waqf Board Employees Association, wherein they alleged that they had not been paid a salary and other allowances for over six months.

The plea stated that the payment of salary to the employees is necessary to enable them to maintain their livelihood and denial of the same amounts to the denial of the Right to Life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

Case Title: Delhi Waqf Board Employees Association & Anr. v. Chief Executive Officer Delhi Waqf Board & Ors.

Statue: The Constitution of India