A division bench, comprising acting Chief Justice Devinder Gupta and Justice Mukul Mudgal, directed the Government to pay the salary to AIIMS faculty members as recommended by the K K Bakshi committee from March 1, and arrears from January 1, 1996 to February 29, 1999 as per its (Govt's) notification of January 21 this year.

The court asked the Centre to clear all arrears by April 30, subject to the final decision of the Government on the interim direction issued by the court.

The court made it clear that the interim direction was without prejudice to the rights and contention of the Government.

The order came on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by advocates Arun Kaushal and Mohammad Sajid who had sought the court's intervention in the recent strike by AIIMSFaculty Association (FAIMS) The strike was for the implementation of the Bakshi Committee's report which was set up by the Government to decide the pay of AIIMS senior doctors.