CHENNAI: Rapping the Special Commissioner for Treasuries and Accounts for delaying medical reimbursement due to a schoolteacher, the Madras High Court has ordered immediate payment with nine per cent interest.

Justice N.Paul Vasanthakumar, passing orders on a writ petition filed by the teacher, K.Subramanian, said it was open for the Government to recover the interest from the salary of erring official(s). "The Government need not suffer any financial loss due to the indifferent attitude of the officer/officers concerned."

Heart surgery

The matter relates to the medical reimbursement claim of Mr.Subramanian for the heart operation of his wife S.Kalaiselvi under the Tamil Nadu Government Employees Health Fund Scheme. In May 2003, the petitioner furnished a claim for Rs.1.03 lakh towards surgery, treatment and medical expenses. The Chief Educational Officer of Coimbatore sanctioned Rs.67,985, 75 per cent of the expenditure. However, the Special Commissioner for Treasuries and Accounts returned the claim four times seeking clarifications.

With a view to satisfying the queries, the patient was subjected to examination before a medical board. The Joint Director of Health Services and the Director of Medicine and Rural Health Services certified it was an emergency surgery and that Ms.Kalaiselvi was covered by the scheme. The treatment was obtained from a Government approved hospital. Though the queries were clarified, the Special Commissioner did not clear the bill.

Criticising the indifferent attitude of the official, Mr.Justice Paul Vasanthakumar said: "The claim of a deserving person has been unjustly prolonged. This has to be treated as vexatious." The "unnecessary and repeated queries" were "unauthorised and uncalled for," and "denial of the benefit despite the sanction order is totally erroneous and illegal."

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