New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday delivered two contrasting pronoucements on developments relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.In one it directed the Centre and the states not to take any coercive action till July end against private companies which have not paid full wages to their employees during the coronavirus lockdown.

In another, the Supreme Court took serious note of the non-payment of salary and lack of proper accommodation to doctors engaged in the fight against COVID-19.

The courts should not have to step in on the issue of non-payment of salary to healthcare workers. The government should settle the issue, it said.

The latter remarks came as the top court was hearing a plea by a doctor who alleged that frontline healthcare workers engaged in the fight against COVID-19 are not being paid salaries or their salaries are being cut or delayed.

The doctor also questioned the Centre's new SOP making their 14-day quarantine non-mandatory.

"In war, you do not make soldiers unhappy. Travel the extra mile and channel some extra money to address grievances. The country cannot afford to have dissatisfied soldiers in this war which is being fought against Corona,” said the bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, S K Kaul and M R Shah.

The bench said that there were reports coming out that in many areas doctors were not being paid. “We saw reports that doctors have gone on strike. In Delhi, some doctors have not been paid for three months. These are concerns that should have been taken care off. It should not require court intervention."

However, the same three-judge bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M R Shah said industries and employees need each other and they should sit together to arrive at a settlement on the issue of payment of wages.

The bench, which passed an order in the matter, asked state governments to facilitate such settlement process and file its report with the labour commissioners concerned.

It also asked the Centre to file an additional affidavit within four weeks with regard to the legality of Ministry of Home Affairs' March 29 circular which had mandated payment of full wages during the lockdown period.

The bench posted the petitions filed by various companies against the March 29 circular, for further hearing in last week of July.

The apex court asked the Centre and state governments to circulate its order through labour departments to facilitate the settlement process.

The Secretary (Labour & Employment) had also written to chief secretaries of states to advise employers not to terminate employees from their jobs or reduce their wages amid the challenging situation of the pandemic.

All four Rajya Sabha election candidates from Karnataka, including former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, were elected unanimously to the upper house of the Parliament on Friday.

"Very sorry state of affairs in Delhi and inside its hospitals. Look at the treatment meted out to patients. The patients are crying and no one is looking after them. Relatives are not even informed, as reported by media, after the death of patients...," the bench said.

A PIL has been moved in the Delhi high court seeking a direction to the AAP government to impose a strict lockdown in the national capital again. The plea has been filed by a lawyer – Anirban Mondal and his employee Pawan Kumar.

New Delhi. 04 Indians have been shot dead in the sudden firing by Nepal Police on the Indo-Nepal border in Bihar, while one has died.

New Delhi. Before the Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress will file a complaint with the Election Commission today, alleging misuse of power by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

An ambulance was parked near the gate of the office, but suspecting the man to be infected with coronavirus, refused to transport the dead body.The man, a resident of Balrampur, had gone to a local government office, when he collapsed at its gate and died at the spot. The reason of his death is not known as yet.

Ruling NCP and Congress in Maharashtra hit back at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who had slammed the Shiv Sena-led dispensation over its handling of the COVID-19 situation by calling it a circus.

Delhi High Court had directed the AAP government to ensure that all ration shops remain operational during working hours and to ensure that food grains are provided to all.

At least 2,098 people died in Delhi due to novel coronavirus, more than twice the official figures reported by the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government, an official of MCD said on Thursday.