Delhi Lt. Governor V K Saxena.
Credit
Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has ordered release of pending wages of 281 contractual workers of Delhi government-run care homes, a statement from Raj Niwas said on Thursday.
The payments of employees of care homes -- Asha Kiran, Asha Deep, and Asha Jyoti -- run by social welfare department were delayed due to legal hurdles, it said.
The LG has ordered for releasing their wages from April 2023 onwards. The relief will cover workers including 221 caregivers, 51 nurses, and other support staff, the statement said.
Some of the contractual workers had contested the social welfare department's proposal to change their employment from contractual to outsourced category, leading to legal battles in the Central Administrative Tribunal and Delhi High Court, it said.
A proposal for seeking ex-post facto approval for contractual engagement since 2010 and change of mode of engagement to outsourced basis was received by the LG secretariat in March 2023.
It was examined in detail at the LG Secretariat wherein it was observed that the proposal of the department to change the nature of employment appeared not to be in consonance with the CAT and high court orders and so the action of the department could attract contempt petitions, it said.
Considering the fact that the disposal of appeals filed by the department to vacate the status quo orders may take some more time that would escalate financial hardships of these workers, the LG agreed to the proposal which was endorsed by the chief secretary for release of wages from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, the statement added.