New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Central Government to pay salary to doctors, on strike against reservation, till May 30, 2006 and not till June 3.
A bench comprising Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta also censured the government for applying the principle of 'no work, no pay' in this case despite assurance given to the court on May 31, 2006 that no punitive action shall be taken against the doctors.
The doctors had gone on strike against the impuned order of HRD Minister Arjun Singh providing 27.5 per cent reservation to OBC for admissions to higher educational instititutions.
The court, however, rejected the plea of senior counsel L M Singhvi for grant of salary till June 3, saying, "We are not accustomed to our wishes not being complied with."
However, this order will not act as precedent for future in view of the peculiar fact and circumstances of this case.
Further, the court was also assured by the Additional Solicitor General that all criminal cases registered against the doctors, if brought to the notice of the government, will be immediately withdrawn.
The health ministry was filing an affidavit on Monday, clarifying its stand on holding back salaries of doctors who went on strike against reservation.
Resident doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had gone on a 17-day-long strike to protest against the OBC quotas.
The doctors had to approach the Supreme Court two weeks ago to get their pending salaries for those 17 days.
At the last hearing, the apex court had issued notices to the central government and the health ministry on this petition.
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