High Court set aside reduction in petitioner's pension granted 12 years after retirement without notice. Court held no recovery justified absent complicity allegations and strict adherence to Rule 3(C) KSR time limits.
Exhibits P8 and P9 regarding reduction of petitioner's pension were set aside.
This page shows the compact analysis of this judgement. The full analysis — procedural history, issue-by-issue holdings with ratio and obiter, advocates, and paragraph-level evidence for every claim — is being added to the record in batches and will appear here when this judgement has been through it.
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE MRS. JUSTICE ANU SIVARAMAN
WEDNESDAY, THE 06TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2019 / 15TH KARTHIKA, 1941
WP(C).No.22969 OF 2010(U)
PETITIONER/S:
CHERIAN L.DANIEL
S/O.LATE DANIEL CHERIAN, RESIDING AT, EDAYIL HOUSE, OMALLOOR P.O., PATHANAMTHITTA,, FORMER HEADMASTER, M.D.L.P.S., KUMBAZHA.
BY ADV. SRI.V.PHILIP MATHEW
RESPONDENT/S:
OTHER PRESENT:
BY GOVERNMENT PLEADER SMT.VIDYA C. BALAN
THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING BEEN FINALLY HEARD ON 06.11.2019, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:
WP(C).No.22969 OF 2010(U)
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JUDGMENT
This writ petition is filed challenging Exts.P8 & P9 communications, by which the petitioner's pension has been reduced on the ground that there is a mistake in the fixation of pay with effect from 14.07.1994.
submitted that on the basis of re-option submitted by him, his pay was fixed at Rs.2,360/- with effect from 14.07.1994. The Local Fund Audit conducted an audit and, by Ext.P2 report, raised an objection with regard to the fixation of the petitioner's pay as Rs.2,360/- from 14.07.1994. The petitioner's
pay was revised after his retirement by Ext.P3
proceedings dated 04.08.2004. The 6th respondent, thereafter, forwarded the service book of the petitioner for revision of
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pension. The petitioner had submitted representation, pointing out the anomaly in the fixation of his pay with reference to the pay of one Smt.Mary Joshuva V., a retired Headmistress, who he claims to be his junior.
Though by Ext.P6 letter, the 2nd respondent directed the 6th respondent to consider and dispose of the representation, the petitioner was informed by Ext.P7 that the anomaly cannot be rectified since these records were not available in the office and since the audit objection against fixation of petitioner's pay had not been finalized. Thereafter, by Ext.P8 proceedings dated 04.05.2010, the basic pension of the petitioner has been reduced. By Ext.P9, the 6th respondent was informed of the revision and was directed to implement the same. This action is under challenge.
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30.06.1998. There was absolutely no allegation as to any complicity on his part in the matter
of fixation of pay. Further, issuance of Exts.P8 & P9 long after his retirement without issuing notice is completely untenable. Relying on the decision of the apex court in State of Punjab v. Rafiq Masih (White Washer) [2014 KHC 4818], it is submitted that in the absence of any allegation as to the complicity of the petitioner in the matter of fixation of pay, recovery or reduction cannot be effected long after the petitioner's retirement in 1998.
audit objection was raised before the retirement of the petitioner and that the pay had been revised in the year 2000. Learned Government Pleader places reliance on the decision in Sivan Kurup N. v. Kerala State
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Road Transport Corporation, Thiruvananthapuram
[2018 (2) KHC 571] in support of his
contentions. He also refers to Rule 3(C) of Part III KSR.
“3C. Notwithstanding anything contained in these Rules, recovery of excess payments made to an officer by mistake within a period of 4 years before his retirement and which are detected within a period of 4 years after retirement may be made from his pension and other amounts due to him after retirement subject to the condition that such deduction if made from his pension shall be effected only in monthly instalments in whole Rupees and that the amount of each instalment shall not exceed 10% of the monthly pension admissible to him”.
It is clear from a reading of Rule 3(C) of
Part III KSR that what is contemplated is the
recovery of amounts wrongly paid within a specified period. The respondents cannot rely
on Rule 3(C) of Part III KSR to contend that recovery can be made at any distance of time without taking note of the fact that the
WP(C).No.22969 OF 2010(U)
petitioner had retired from service in the year, 1998 and there is no complicity alleged against him. The decision in Sivan Kurup N. 's case ( supra ) specifically refers to a fact situation, where the petitioner therein was found guilty of suppression of material facts and misrepresentation and obtained a wrong fixation of pay. In the said case, the petitioner had retired from service in 2015 and recovery was ordered on 05.08.2017. The facts of the above case have no application to the instant case. Therefore, this Court is of the view that the steps taken for reduction of pension of the petitioner without notice at a
distance of 12 years from the date of retirement is completely unjustified. After the petitioner's retirement in 1998, nothing
prevented the respondents from taking appropriate steps for refixation of pension within a reasonable time after putting the
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petitioner on notice and after considering his objections, if any. Having chosen not to do so, the respondents cannot rely on Rule 3(C) of Part IV, KSR to defend a reduction in pension after 12 years, that too, without any further notice. The petitioner, an aided school headmaster, who retired in 1998, is therefore, entitled to enjoy the pension, which was fixed and was being paid to him more than a decade ago. The dictum laid down by the Apex Court in Rafiq Masih (White Washer) 's case ( supra ) is squarely applicable in the instant case.
In the result, this writ petition is allowed and Exts.P8 & P9 are set aside.
Sd/-
ANU SIVARAMAN
JUDGE
Bka/06.11.2019
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APPENDIX
PETITIONER'S/S EXHIBITS:
EXHIBIT P1 COPY OF THE STATEMENT OF FIXATION OF PAY DATED 03.05.1995 EXHIBIT P2 COPY OF THE REPORT OF LOCAL AUDIT FOR THE YEAR 1996-97 SUBMITTED BY SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT, A.E.OFFICE, PATHANAMTHITTA. EXHIBIT P3 COPY OF THE ORDER NO.A-2201/97 DATED 04.08.2004 ISSUED BY THE SIXTH RESPONDENT. EXHIBIT P4 COPY OF LETTER DATED 17.11.2005 ISSUED BY THE SECOND RESPONDENT. EXHIBIT P5 COPY OF THE COVERING LETTER NUMBER E/461/05. EXHIBIT P6 COPY OF THE LETTER DATED 10.02.2006 FROM THE SECOND RESPONDENT TO THE SIXTH RESPONDENT. EXHIBIT P7 COPY OF THE LETTER DATED 22.02.2006 ISSUED BY 6TH RESPONDENT. EXHIBIT P8 COPY OF THE LETTER DATED 04.05.2010 ISSUED BY THIRD RESPONDENT. EXHIBIT P9 COPY OF THE LETTER DATED 4.5.2010
2 issues framed by the court
Whether recovery or reduction of pension long after retirement without notice is permitted where no complicity is alleged.
Whether Rule 3(C) of Part III KSR applies to cases involving delay beyond the statutory period without notice.
Cherian L.Daniel
State of Kerala
Accountant General A E
Senior Accounts Officer
District Treasury Officer, Pathanamthitta
Assistant Educational Officer, Pathanamthitta
Anu Sivaraman
As recorded by the court registry
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
