New Delhi (Agency): The Delhi High Court has issued an order to the CEO of Delhi Waqf Board, directing them to arrange a board meeting within a month. The aim of this meeting is to discuss fundraising strategies and clear the unpaid salaries of board employees that have been pending for several months.
The court’s decision came as a response to a plea made by the Delhi Waqf Board employees for the payment of their outstanding wages. Justice Chandra Dhari Singh also directed the board members to actively participate and cooperate in the upcoming meeting.
Earlier this year, the employees’ association and an individual worker approached the court. They claimed they had not received their salaries since October of the previous year, which was causing them “unfathomable financial hardships”.
Justice Singh said in the court order dated July 11, “The CEO, Delhi Waqf Board is directed to convene the Meeting of the Board within one month for the purposes of raising funds and clearing the outstanding dues of the petitioners. The Members of the Board shall also attend, partake and cooperate in the said Meeting.”
During the hearing, CEO Rehan Raza, who was present, assured the court that a board meeting would be arranged soon.
Earlier on June 1, the high court demanded Raza’s presence to explain why salaries had remained unpaid for nearly nine months, despite a previous court directive. The chairperson of the Delhi Waqf Board stated during the hearing that the funds needed to settle the outstanding dues had not been raised because the board meeting had not been convened, and the CEO held the power to do so.
Advocate M Sufian Siddiqui, who represented the petitioners, argued that the CEO had made no effort to call a meeting or secure funds to ensure strict adherence to the court’s prior salary payment orders.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for August 22 and has requested the board’s CEO to be present. The high court’s observation on June 1 stated that the petition from the Delhi Waqf Board employees “depicts a very sorry state of affairs as admittedly the employees have not received their salaries for nearly nine months,” and authorities were “totally insensitive” to the employees’ predicament.
The court noted a blatant disregard for its orders and expressed disappointment with the “usual and casual response” that the matter was being considered and funds were lacking.
Back in March, the court had instructed the respondents – the city government and Delhi Waqf Board authorities – to pay the employees’ outstanding salaries within two weeks.
The petitioners claimed that the lack of pay had robbed the employees of their right to a dignified life, flagrantly infringing upon their fundamental and constitutional rights. It added that the “entire functioning of the board has collapsed” and the staff is in a dire situation due to unresolved issues. According to the petition, no meetings had taken place since January 5, 2022, which has drastically affected the board’s revenue generation and overall functionality.
The petition concluded that delays in preparing and forwarding the Delhi Waqf Board budget to the state government as required by the Waqf Act, 1995 and the Delhi Wakf Rules, 1997, had led to a significant delay in requesting the Grant in Aid for the first quarter of the 2022-2023 Financial Year from the Delhi Government. It also mentioned that there were additional delays from the Government of NCT of Delhi in releasing the Grant in Aid.