India News | HC Warns Protesting MCD Sanitation Employees, Union Against Throwing Garbage on Streets

New Delhi, Mar 4 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Thursday warned MCD's sanitation employees and unions, which are protesting against non-payment of salaries, against throwing garbage on the streets of the national capital and restraining other staff members of the corporation from carrying out their duties.

The high court, which assured the employees that they will get their salaries, said ‘safai karamcharis' of municipal corporation should understand that they are providing essential services and shall not indulge in any illegal activity.

The high court was informed by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) that several safai karamcharis union have called for a strike Friday and that they shall be restrained from throwing garbage on streets or hampering functioning of the corporation.

“Under no circumstances the court will permit any act on part of the unions or its members which tantamount to taking law in their hands,” a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said.

The bench issued bailable warrants against the leaders of MCD Swachhata Karamchari Union, which has given a call for strike, for their non-appearance in the matter.

An office bearer of another employees union present in the court submitted that they were aggrieved as they have not received salaries for various months.

He, however, assured the bench that the members of his union will not go on strike as the matter relating to non-payment of salaries was pending in the court.

The bench said, “we make it clear that respondent no. 3 (MCD Swachhata Karamchari Union) or its members shall not throw garbage on streets and shall not stop other employees from carrying out their duties.”

It also said that the unions or its members shall not hamper the functioning of the corporation or ‘gherao' EDMC's headquarter.

“We agree that you all should be paid your salaries and we will ensure that you get your dues. But this is not right that you will call for strikes again and again. We will not allow you to do any illegal activity and we will not allow you to spill garbage on roads.

“Neither we will allow them (corporation) nor you (employees) to do anything wrong. You are providing an essential service and you must understand this,” the bench told the union leaders and employees.

The bench was hearing a petition by EDMC, through advocate Manu Chaturvedi, seeking direction to the Delhi Police and Delhi government to ensure that there is no obstruction in the performance its duties, its officials and employees, including safai karamcharis who are willing to work.

The EDMC also sought direction to the authorities to provide necessary assistance so that day-to-day operations of the corporation can be run smoothly and no inconvenience is caused to the members of the general public.

A batch of petitions raising grievances regarding non-payment of salaries to all classes of municipal employees is pending before the high court which has been passing orders, as a result of which, all Group D employees have been paid their outstanding salaries till December, 2020.

The EDMC had earlier placed on record a certificate to show that the process of disbursal of salaries for the Group D employees for January this year has already been initiated.

Due to non-payment of salaries in a timely manner and for pressing their other demands, the safai karamcharis of the MCDs have been striking work and carrying out their agitation.

The high court had earlier also directed the safai karmacharis of the MCDs and their unions not to take law into their hands by causing obstruction in removal of garbage or by strewing it on the streets of the city.

They are also directed not to obstruct or block the ingress and egress into the offices of the MCD, which were asked to take strict disciplinary action against any safai karmachari found to be indulging in such like activities.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)