On Tuesday (September, 15, 2020), eight teachers of Delhi University (DU) moved to the Delhi High Court seeking direction to the University affiliated colleges, which functions under that State government, to release their salaries pending for the last four months.
Advocate Ashok Agarwal and Advocate Kumar Utkarsh, on behalf of the aggrieved faculty members, contended that because of the uncleared dues of salary payments, the teachers and all other employees working with the 12 colleges are undergoing “mental agony” and “harassment”. They also submitted that there is no justification on the part of authorities to not pay them their dues on time. The petition also mentions that apart from these eight teachers there are other employees, teaching and non-teaching staff as well who have not received their salaries for the months of May, June, July, and August.
The petitioners are members of the Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) and they have been writing to the Delhi government for the release of funds to enable the 12 University colleges, which is funded by the AAP government, to pay due salaries to 1500 teachers and non-teaching staff working there.
It has been argued that “The impugned actions are bad in law as much as the same is violative of right to life as well as the right to livelihood as guaranteed under Article 21 of Constitution of India”. Moreover, as per the plea these actions are unjust, unfair of violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India read with the provisions of the Delhi University Act, 1922.
The plea has sought the Hon’ble High Court to direct the authorities to pay the salaries dues from the month of May this year to date to the petitioners along with the other aggrieved staff members. It also submitted prayers for timely payment of salaries in the future.
The petition is filed by Assistant Professor Udaibir Singh and others. It has also listed that names of the 12 Delhi University colleges which are fully funded by the Delhi Government, they are - Acharya Narendra Dev College; Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College; Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences; Bhagini Nivedita College; DeenDayal Upadhyaya College; Aditi Mahavidyalaya Women’s College; Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education & Sports Sciences, Keshav Mahavidyalaya; Maharaja Agrasen College (DU); Maharshi Valmiki College of Education; Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women and Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies.
It has been said that no action has been taken by the Authorities to date in the matter concerned. As of the last reported update, the matter was likely to be taken up for hearing on September 17.
