HC Asks Delhi Waqf Board To Submit Response Over Its Employees Not Being Paid Their Salaries

Justice Jyoti Singh in the order passed in the matter recently said, "Counter affidavits be filed by the respondents, positively, before the next date of hearing."

Delhi High Court

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The Delhi High Court has asked Delhi Waqf Board to reply to a petition filed by its employees seeking the payment of salaries and emoluments that have been overdue for more than five months. According to the Delhi Waqf Board Employees Association, several employees of various categories have not received their pay since October of last year and are currently experiencing "unfathomable financial hardships."

The petition said, "The employees of Delhi Waqf Board falling in Category I (Permanent employees recruited against the sanctioned post), II (Permanent employees whose recruitment is approved by the Divisional Commissioner), III (Employees who were recruited on contractual basis but are waiting for their absorption) and IV (Contractual employees who continue to be contractual) have not received their salary from October 2022."

Justice Jyoti Singh in the order passed in the matter recently said, "Counter affidavits be filed by the respondents, positively, before the next date of hearing."

The Delhi government's Divisional Commissioner-cum-Revenue Secretary's stand was also sought.

The petitioner's attorney, M. Sufian Siddiqui, claimed that the aggrieved employees had their right to a decent existence stolen from them in a gross violation of their constitutional and fundamental rights.

According to the petition, a lack of funds cannot be an excuse for the board's failure to convene and take the required actions to release the salaries of its employees.

It said that the "entire functioning of the board has collapsed" and its staff "has been in a grim situation because of unresolved issues".

The petition alleged, "The functioning of the Delhi Waqf Board has come to a standstill as its business is to be transacted at its meetings. Staggeringly, after 05.01.2022 no meeting of the members of the Board has taken place. Hence, as a necessary corollary, the Board has not been able to meet and transact its business, as such, revenue generation of the Delhi Waqf Board has taken a blow."

It added, "The budget of the Delhi Waqf Board is also not prepared and forwarded to the state government in a timely manner as required by the Waqf Act, 1995 and the Delhi Wakf Rules, 1997, which has caused inordinate delay in sending requisition for the Grant in Aid to the Delhi Government for first quarter of Financial Year 2022-2023. Furthermore, there are delays on the part of the Government of NCT of Delhi also in releasing the Grant in Aid."

The next hearing on the matter is scheduled to take place on March 16.

(With inputs from PTI)