Delhi HC defers to Nov 5 hearing on plea seeking payment of TB health visitors' salaries

New Delhi [India], October 8 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Thursday deferred to November 5 the hearing on public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to clear the pending salaries of tuberculosis health visitors working in the chest clinics of North Delhi Municipal Corporation, who are presently involved towards the control of COVID-19 pandemic.
A division bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonian Prasad posted the matter for November 5, when a similar batch of petitions are already pending for hearing.
Twenty-six TB health visitors, through the Paramedical Technical Staff Welfare Association of the MCD, approached the court seeking directions to the North MCD to release the monthly salary along with all the associated allowances and benefits payable since May 2020.
The plea, filed through advocates Tarun Sharma and Akansha Kapoor, said that the tuberculosis health visitors in spite of the risk of bringing the infection home have been selflessly working as corona warriors.
"Article 21 of the Constitution of India, 1950 binds the respondent (North Delhi Municipal Corporation) to ensure an environment for the Tuberculosis health visitors to lead a lifestyle with freedom and dignity. The respondent has in an arbitrary and illegal manner infringed the Right to Life of the tuberculosis health visitors," the plea said.
The plea said that these twenty-six tuberculosis health visitors have not been paid the bonus, dearness allowance, leave travel concession, modified assured career progression since 2015.
It said the petitioner association submitted a representation to the North MCD on August 28, 2020, for the release of the monthly salary along with all the associated allowances and benefits to the tuberculosis health visitors, but the same has gone in vain.
The plea also said that 87,000 healthcare workers have been infected with the COVID-19, whereas 573 of the said workers have lost their lives while providing their services to control the spread of the said deadly virus. (ANI)