New Delhi, Nov 4 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday transferred to another bench a plea seeking a direction to release the salaries and allowances of the nursing staff at the Rajan Babu Institute of Pulmonary Medicine and Tuberculosis, North Delhi Municipal Corporation, payable since June 2020.

The matter was listed before a division bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan who transferred the matter to another division bench.

The matter would now be listed before the division bench presided by Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad on November 6. This division bench is already hearing a batch of petitions relating to the payment of salaries.

The petition filed by the Delhi Nurses Union also sought directions to release the nursing staff's arrears since January 2016 pertaining to the Central Pay Commission Bonus, Dearness Allowance, Leave Travel Concession, Modified Assured Career Progression, etc.

"The advent of Covid-19 virus has since the month of March, 2020 diverted the working actions of the nursing personnel substantially towards the control of the corona pandemic as Corona Warriors," the plea said.

The plea further states that nursing personnel have been working vigorously in the detection of the corona virus disease by conducting home visits, virtual community meetings, contact tracing, organising Covid-19 tests, comorbidity evaluation, ensuring regular medication, defaulter patients visits, record maintenance, etc.

"The nursing personnel in accordance with the service conditions are lawfully entitled to regularly receive the monthly salary along with all the associated allowances & benefits," the plea said.