New Delhi: Delhi, Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka and Tripura are yet to follow directives on timely payment of salaries to healthcare workers engaged in COVID-19 duties, the Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court, which said it cannot be “helpless” in implementing the directions. The top court also asked the Centre to clarify that compulsory quarantine period of healthcare workers is not to be treated as leave and salaries are not deducted for the period.
A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and MR Shah told the Centre to issue directions for releasing the salaries on time.
“If the states are not complying with the directions and orders of the Central government, you are not helpless. You have to ensure that your order is implemented. You have got the power under the Disaster Management Act. You can take steps also,” the bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre.
Mehta said that after the top court’s directions on June 17, necessary orders were issued on June 18 to all the states with regard to timely payment of salaries to healthcare workers. He submitted that five states — Delhi, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tripura and Karnataka — have not paid the salaries to the full satisfaction of doctors and healthcare workers engaged in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
Mehta said that appropriate steps in this regard shall be taken by the central government to ensure that salaries of doctors and health workers are released.
He sought a week’s time to apprise the court about the steps taken in this regard, which was granted by the top court.
Jain, a private doctor, has questioned the Centre’s May 15 decision that 14-day quarantine was not mandatory for doctors. The top court also took note of an application filed by United Resident Doctors Association (URDA) through advocates Mithu Jain, Mohit Paul and Arnav Vidyarthi that salaries of doctors are being deducted for the period of compulsory quarantine treating it as leave period.
“One of the difficulties, which has been pointed out by counsel for the petitioners is that those doctors and health workers, who are quarantined, their period of quarantine is treated as on leave,” the bench said. (PTI)
