OdishaPlus Bureau
The Supreme Court on Friday has asked the Centre to ensure that doctors and health workers involved in COVID-19 get their salary paid in time. Justice Ashok Bhusan who headed the bench has asked the Centre to make sure that the doctors and health workers are paid their salaries by August 10. The decision comes weeks after the Centre informed the court frontline COVID-19 health workers and dcotors in four major states namely, Punjab, Maharashtra, Tripura and Karnataka have not been paid their due salary despite Centre’s repeated instructions.
“Though the centre has issued directions, the above mentioned states have not implemented the decision,” said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. In response to this, the Court said that the Centre is not powerless to ensure that states obeyed its directive. the Centre has got powers under the Disaster Management Act.
Amid the hearing, counsel representing the doctors and health workers complained the apex court that quarantine period after the duty is being sacked as leave. The SC was hearing a plea filed by Dr. Arushi Jain who sought timely payment of salaries of the frontline COVID-19 health workers and doctors.
