New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Delhi government’s revenue department to take steps to streamline and pay outstanding salaries of staff working at one-stop centres and take action against delinquent officials.
The one-stop centres (OSCs) are designed to support women affected by violence in the city.
The court was informed that the staff working at the OSC in the East district have not been paid salaries since last year, while those in West, North and South districts have not got their dues for the past several months.
A bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela directed the revenue department to “fix responsibility for non-payment of salaries and take action against delinquent officials in accordance with law”, and file a status report within two weeks.
The secretaries of the Department of Women and Child Development and the Department of Revenue appeared virtually in the hearing and admitted that 87 per cent of the funds given by the Centre for OSCs have not been utilised till now and salaries to the employees have not been paid in several districts for months.
The counsel for the Centre clarified that its funds can be used for staff salaries if there is unspent amount left from the money meant for assistance to be provided to victims.
Initially, the revenue department’s officer submitted that they were unable to pay salaries as funds were not received from the Centre.
Thereafter, the revenue department admitted that there has been a lapse and that they will take steps to ensure all employees are paid outstanding salaries and future salaries on time.
Concerned over non-payment of salaries, the bench observed that “either you suspend someone or we will suspend you. There is no ‘maharaja’ here. People are going to OSCs without salaries. Work is not happening because of no salaries. You have killed their enthusiasm. Your department is insensitive”.
The condition of OSCs in Delhi was flagged in a petition filed by NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan, represented by advocate Prabhsahay Kaur.
It was highlighted that there is a serious issue of under-utilisation of the OSCs with the salaries of the employees normally being paid lump sum and not every month.
The Supreme Court in December 2018 had asked the states and Union Territories to set up at least one OSC in every district of the country in the interest of children and women within one year from the passing of the verdict.
The apex court had said that these OSCs can be used as a central police station where all crimes against women and children in the town or city are registered and they should have well trained staff who are sensitive to the needs of children and women who have undergone sexual abuse.
It had further said these OSCs should also have adequate medical facilities to provide immediate medical aid to the victims and the medical examination of the victims can be conducted at the centre itself. PTI SKV SKV KSS KSS
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