Punjab: Considering the matter as highly unfortunate, the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently directed Civil Hospital at Charkhi Dadri to release the concerned documents so that the outstanding salary of a Senior resident doctor presently attached to Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Rohtak, can be paid.
The medico, Dr Vijay Ahlawat, who moved the plea against the Haryana State Government and others seeking judicial intervention as he has not received any salary since June 2019. Distressed at non-payment of salary, the senior resident doctor approached the court stating that he has not received his salary for the last several months during the pandemic.
In his petitioner, Dr Ahlawat submitted that he was a doctor of HCMS and was previously employed in the Civil Hospital at Charkhi Dadri, where his service book is presently kept. According to a recent media report in The Tribune, despite handing over all the documents to the concerned authorities which the petitioner owned; the institution asked him to submit his last pay certificate before releasing his remuneration.
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The matter was brought before Justice Grewal who, observing the nonpayment of the salary, stated that "He has admittedly not been paid salary for the last several months, which is rather unfortunate. He is being made to run around several departments for completing the papers."
Responding to the submissions, the Advocates presenting the respondent informed the court that the institution has already asked the Civil Hospital to submit relevant documents connected with the issue and they also directed the hospital to send the last pay certificate which is necessary for the release of the salary. The counsel for the institution argued that the petitioner had an extraordinary leave and hence salary is yet to be paid for the last three or four months.
Considering the matter as 'highly unfortunate', and on examining the case after hearing both the parties, the court noted that the respondent institution has already given direction to the respondent hospital to submit all the documents related to the case including the service book of the doctor.
Hence the court issued direction to the respondent Hospital where the doctor was previously employed and urged the hospital to complete the important formalities immediately and to forward the documents to the respondent institution without further delay so that the petitioner can receive his due salary at the earliest.
"He has admittedly not been paid salary for the last several months, which is rather unfortunate. He is being made to run around several departments for completing the papers."
At a time like this when frontline health workers are hailed as COVID Warriors, this kind of delay in issuing salary can affect their mental strength, reports The Tribune.