Directs Personal Appearance Of 3 Treasury
SRINAGAR, JAN 12: Taking serious notice of the alleged inaction on the part of the treasury officers, the High Court of J&K and Ladakh on Friday ordered the personal appearance of three of them over the alleged delay in reimbursing of a medical claim to a doctor concerning the treatment of her mother battling a life-threatening disease.
The court was hearing a petition filed by a doctor being the only daughter of her parents who unfortunately suffers from life consuming disease. While his father is on regular medicine, the Doctor said that she got her mother to stay in Bombay for treatment at Tata Hospital for a long time and spent a huge amount of money after arranging the same by way of loans obtained from the bank and private persons.
She, being eligible, also applied for a medical reimbursement claim and submitted all the relevant documents to the competent authorities. Based on the record, the Director Health Services Kashmir accorded sanction to the allotment of funds to the tune of Rs 6,17,586. However, the same was not released by the treasury officer.
“This writ petition by the petitioner is literally a distress call to this Court invoking Article 226 of the Constitution of India with the grievance that her ailing mother who is suffering from cancer under treatment is on the verge of suffering loss of life because of acts of omission or commission on the part of the respondents 3 to 5 in particular in the matter of reimbursing of the medical claims of the petitioner in connection with the treatment of her mother,” said a bench of Justice Rahul Bharti while hearing the petition by the doctor.
Her counsel also stated at the Bar that Treasury Officer Kokernag made a phone call to her that unless and until the doctor withdraws the petition, “he was not going to process the reimbursement file.”
“The matter is too serious to be taken casually or leniently”, the Court said and directed issuance of notice to the J&K government through Commissioner Secretary Finance, Director General Accounts and Treasuries Jammu/Srinagar besides Director Accounts and Treasuries Kashmir, District Treasury Officer Anantnag and Treasury Officer Kokernag.
“Registrar Judicial, Srinagar, is directed to issue notice for personal appearance of respondents 3 to 5 (Director Accounts and Treasuries Kashmir, District Treasury Officer Anantnag and Treasury Officer Kokernag) to be served through SSP, Anantnag,” the court said, adding, “This Court directs personal appearance of respondent no. 3-Director Accounts and Treasuries, Kashmir, at Srinagar, respondent no. 4- District Treasury Officer, Anantnag and respondent no. 5-Treasury Officer, Kokernag (Anantnag) on the next date of hearing.”
The court directed the SSP Anantnag to apprise the Director Accounts and Treasuries Kashmir at Srinagar, District Treasury Officer, Anantnag and Treasury Officer, Kokernag (Anantnag) with respect to their personal appearance on Tuesday, January 16.
