Indore (Madhya Pradesh): After a doctor's death, the government recovered Rs 16 lakh from his gratuity and other payments made into his account by calling it recovery. The doctor's wife objected to this, but was told that the government had withdrawn the order by which the doctor was promoted in 2012.
“He has been given more salary by mistake which has now being recovered,” she was told.
Taken aback, the doctor's wife moved High Court challenging the government's recovery order. The court ruled in favour of the petitioner.
The matter pertains to Dr MS Bhandari, deputy director of the health department. Advocate Dharmendra Chelawat said that in 2012, the government had issued an order and promoted Bhandari. After this, he started getting increased salary. He died while on the job in 2014.
Instead of paying Bhandari's gratuity amount of Rs 10 lakh and other payments amounting to Rs 15,93,593 to the deceased’s wife, Aruna Bhandari, the government deposited this amount in its own account.
Aruna Bhandari was told that the government has withdrawn the order to promote Dr Bhandari, hence recovery has been made. Aruna Bhandari challenged the government in the High Court in 2016 through Chelawat.
Now after almost seven years, the decision has come in the case. Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla has ordered the government to return the said amount with 6 percent interest to Dr Bhandari's wife.
