Delhi govt admits to non-utilisation of funds for One-Stop Centres even as staff remain unpaid for months

The submission came portion the secretaries of the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD) and the Department of Revenue appeared virtually earlier the tribunal of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.

The information of OSCs successful Delhi was flagged successful August successful a 2019 petition filed by the NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan, represented by advocator Prabhsahay Kaur.

It was highlighted that determination is simply a superior contented of underutilisation of the OSCs with the salaries of the employees usually being paid lump sum and not each month.

It was besides highlighted that usually nary constabulary facilitation serviceman is deputed astatine the OSCs and that the Delhi Police is non-cooperative and treats OSCs arsenic a transit shelter.

Notably, arsenic per the details submitted by the Delhi authorities successful a presumption study connected September 21, the 11 OSCs successful the nationalist superior had utilised lone astir 21 per cent of the funds allocated arsenic of August 19 this year.

An magnitude of Rs 12.19 lakh was allocated to each OSC, with a full allocation of Rs 1.34 crore, for the existent fiscal twelvemonth of 2024-25.

Expenditures are required to beryllium booked nether 3 components, which are salaries, bureau expenditure, which includes work to beneficiaries and contiguous assistance to victims of rape, and conveyance hiring.

Revenue Department Principal Secretary Ashish Chandra Verma, who was asked to look earlier the tribunal earlier successful November, submitted earlier the seat connected Tuesday that successful the eastbound territory of Delhi, wage for specified employees has not been paid from November 2023 to March 2024, and successful the existent fiscal year, wage outgo has been pending from July.

Similarly, employees of the OSC successful West Delhi, North Delhi, and South Delhi person not been paid salaries from September 2024, November 2024, and August 2024, respectively.

While Verma reasoned that the non-payment of salaries is owing to non-availability of funds, which is different received from the Union authorities and disbursed done the Delhi government’s WCD department, the Union authorities submitted that the Centre’s merchandise of grants to Delhi has been up to date.

The WCD, connected the different hand, submitted that portion it releases the funds received from the Union authorities uniformly to the districts, “based connected saltation successful staff, immoderate districts tin wage up to date.”

It was further submitted that the Centre releases the adjacent instalment of funds erstwhile 87 per cent of the funds released successful the earlier instalment are utilised.

It was submitted that truthful acold 74 per cent of the funds person been utilised.

Meanwhile, the Union authorities informed the tribunal that it has “repeatedly clarified that the funds released by it tin beryllium utilised for outgo of outstanding salaries for the unit of OSC if determination is unspent magnitude remaining aft carrying retired expenditures nether the caput of assistance to victims”.

The seat connected Tuesday directed the gross section to “fix work for non-payment of salaries and instrumentality enactment against delinquent officials successful accordance with law”, and record a presumption study wrong 2 weeks.