AAP govt wants pay hike for public prosecutors: Centre to HC

New Delhi, Aug 7: The Centre has told the Delhi High Court that it has received from the AAP government a proposal for sanction of revision of pay scales of public prosecutors of all the district courts here.

The submission was made before Justice Manmohan after the court had issued a show cause notice to the Centre asking as to why contempt proceedings be not initiated against it for filing a "false affidavit" that they did not receive any proposal for pay hike to different categories of prosecutors in Delhi.

The central government standing counsel submitted that the proposal sent to it by Delhi government has been received and the same is pending before the Ministry of Finance.

"We need a week's time to get back to the court, on what steps the ministry will be taking," the Centre's counsel said. The court has listed the matter for September 15.

Earlier, the Centre's counsel had told the court that it has not received any proposal for sanction of revision of pay scales of the public prosecutors from Delhi government.

Countering the claim, the AAP government had said last December it had sent the cabinet note to the Lieutenant Governor approving hike in the salary of public prosecutors.

The Centre's response had come in the backdrop of the court's notice issued to it on a petition seeking contempt action against the Home Secretary for not complying with its September 9, 2015, order.

The court in its September 2015 had directed Delhi government that the decision to increase the pay scales of Delhi public prosecutors be implemented without any delay. The contempt petition filed by Delhi Prosecutors Welfare Association alleged "deliberate and willful disobedience" on the part of the Centre and city government in complying with the court order.

The association, in its petition filed through advocate Ashish Dixit, had said assurances to the court by the Delhi government to provide Internet facilities to the prosecutors have also not been done.

"It is submitted that despite there being explicit directions by this court for implementing the cabinet decision dated September 1, 2015 the respondents (Centre and Delhi government) have till date not complied with the directions.

"The respondent 1 (Centre) and respondent 2 (Delhi government) have demonstrated an attitude which violates the majesty of this court. The respondents deliberately and willfully have not complied with the directions of this court," the petition has said.

PTI