Jharkhand High Court: A Single Judge Bench of Dr S.N. Pathak, J., partly allowed a writ petition filed against the order of the respondent authorities, whereby the authorities recovered the Academic Grade Pay (AGP) granted to the petitioner behind his back on the ground that only promoted employees are entitled for AGP.
The main issue for consideration, in this case, was whether the respondent authorities can recover the AGP granted to the petitioner without following the principles of natural justice.
The Court observed that if excess money is given to a government employee, then it can be duly recovered since such money does not belong to the payer or the payee, it belongs to the public at large. However, in the instant case the petitioner had superannuated on 31-03-2016 and without adhering to the provisions of law, the amount has been ordered to be recovered.
The Court held that it is a settled proposition of law that no recovery can be done from the retiral benefits without conforming to the principles of natural justice and without following the due process of law and hence the respondent authorities cannot recover the AGP granted to the petitioner in the present case. However, the pension of the petitioner was directed to be fixed as per the pay-scale which the petitioner was actually entitled to receive. Accordingly, the petition was allowed in part by the Court.[Ram Pyare Mishra v. State of Jharkhand,2018 SCC OnLine Jhar 781, order dated 03-07-2018]
