SSB constable in HC against cut in salary towards loan payment

A Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) constable today moved the Delhi High Court against the paramilitary force's decision to deduct a major chunk of his monthly salary towards repayment of loan taken for his kidney transplant in 2015.

In his plea, the SSB constable has claimed that an amount of Rs 30,000 was being deducted and he was getting only around Rs 5,000 each month since August last year which is insufficient to support his family of five and to meet the post-natal care of his wife and one-month-old baby, apart from his own medical expenditure.

The petition came up for hearing before a bench of justices Hima Kohli and Rekha Palli which asked the SSB to bring the records related to the loan availed by the constable from a welfare fund meant for personnel of the force.
 

With the direction, the court listed the matter for further hearing on February 6.

In his plea, Manish Kumar has contended that he had a kidney problem due to continuous hard postings in the high altitude regions for six years and was undergoing dialysis for two years.

In the petition filed through advocate Tushar Sannu, the SSB constable has claimed that the surgery he required was being performed with a high rate of success only at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here and not the hospitals empanelled with SSB.

But SSB refused to give permission to undergo surgery at its expense at Sir Ganga Ram and finally with no other choice, he decided to avail the loan from the SSB welfare fund, the petition said, adding that the amount had to be repaid in 60 instalments.

While he received only Rs six lakh as advance for his treatment, the actual surgical expenses touched nearly Rs 12 lakh and to meet the amount the petitioner's father had to take loans from a bank as well as family and friends, it said.

To add to his troubles, under the Central Government Health Scheme only Rs six lakh was reimbursed which had to be paid towards the loan taken by his father from bank, family and friends as he expired suddenly, the plea said.

The constable has claimed that he was paying Rs 10,000 towards repayment of the money taken from the SSB welfare fund according to the terms of the loan.

However, in August last year he was informed by SSB that he has violated the terms of the loan as he had paid only Rs 40,000 and Rs 5,60,000 remained outstanding, and therefore, they were going to deduct Rs 30,000 per month from his salary, the petition said.

Thereafter, from August 2017 onwards, each month an amount of Rs 30,000 was deducted from his salary and he received only around Rs 5,000, the constable has claimed in his plea.