Development Package called for the required documents to ascertain the fact. The differential cost of Bitumen deducted from the bills of the petitioner was ₹21,54,869/-. Cost of empty drums were also mistakenly deducted to the tune of ₹1,83,498/-. Thus, the total erroneous deduction from the bills of the petitioner was ₹23,38,367/-. However, the District Collector chose not to correct the mistake for the specious reason that the project in question was of the year 2014–'15. The petitioner could not detect the mistake of erroneous deduction at the time of settlement of the bills. But, as soon as the mistake was noted, he brought it to the notice of the respondents. The concerned Executive Engineer, after perusing the records including the M-Book, came to the conclusion that erroneous deductions were made from the bills of the petitioner. When amounts were erroneously deducted from the payment to the petitioner, it is the duty of the State to make refund. The deduction of amounts were without the authority of law. The State has no right to the money and it is refundable to the Contractor.
