Excess payment of salary, pension be compensated by officials responsible: HC

The Madras High Court Thursday voiced concern over numerous complaints about excess payment of salary or pension to government employees in collusion with officials and ordered that the money be recovered from those responsible.

Justice S M Subramanian directed the state government to issue instructions to the authorities concerned to recover the financial losses incurred by the exchequer from officials responsible for excess payment of salary or pension.

Passing orders on a petition by 81-year-old retired government school headmaster Subburaj, the judge quashed the order of the Assistant Treasury Officer of Peraiyur seeking to recover "excess" payment, due to wrong fixation of pay, from the petitioner.

He said officials should conduct an enquiry into excess payments made to the petitioner and in the event of any error or negligence on the part of any official, suitable action should be initiated against them to compensate the loss to the exchequer by imposing recovery proportionately.

The judge impleaded the state Chief Secretary in the case for the limited purpose of issuing comprehensive instructions and circular to all officials that in case of any excess payment of salary, pension, arrears was noticed, the officials responsible for the same have to compensate.

In this regard, show-cause notice should be issued to all officials responsible for excess payment and on receipt of explanation received from them, suitable orders should be passed for imposing recovery.

The judge said there were a large number of complaints that excess claims were made with the collusion of officials.

Therefore, it was mandatory on the part of the government to recover all those excess payments made from the taxpayers' money and safeguard the interests of the state.

Excess payment made cannot be allowed to lapse as it would cause financial loss to the exchequer, he said, adding such a course was in violation of the Constitutional principles.