Ensure states pay doctors’ salaries by Aug 10, SC tells Centre

New Delhi, July 31: The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to ensure that doctors are paid their salaries by August 10.

The directive came after the Centre told the court that doctors and health workers in Delhi, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tripura and Karnataka have not been paid their salaries regularly. This despite the Government of India's directive, the Centre also told the Supreme Court.

The court then said that the Centre is not powerless to ensure that the states obeyed its directive. Ensure that the doctors and health workers are paid their salaries by August 10, the court also said.

The court also asked the Centre when the quarantine period of doctors and health workers is being treated as period of leave. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that this should be treated as on duty. The court, then told the Centre to issue necessary clarifications on this issue to the states.