IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.15381 of 2007 Asharfi Sahani, S/o Sri Lakhan Shani, Resident of Village & P.O. Garhiya, Via-Mehsi, P.S. Madhuban, Dist. East Champaran at present posted as Steno in the office of District Education Officer, Samastipur. ---------- Petitioner Versus 1. The State of Bihar. 2. Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Human Resources Development Department, Govt. of Bihar, Patna. 3. Additional Secretary, Human Resources Development Department, Govt. of Bihar, Patna. 4. District Education Officer, Samastipur. --------- Respondents ---------------------------------- 4 05.12.2011 Heard learned counsel for the parties. Assailing the order dated 7.6.2007, whereby and whereunder, the Government has refused to pay any amount incurred by the petitioner on the expenditure of his medical treatment at All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) on account of there being no prior recommendation of the authorized doctor as also lack of prior approval of the State Government, counsel for the petitioner has submitted that it was such a precarious and emergent situation in which the petitioner could not have followed the normal practice of being referred to AIIMS by first going to the Civil Surgeon and the Board of Doctors constituted by him much less to Indira Gandhi Institute of Cardiology, the specialized centre at Patna. 2 Learned counsel for the petitioner in fact has laid great stress on the fact that the petitioner somehow became chronic patient of cardiological disorder for which he was carefully treated at a Government Hospital i.e. AIIMS and, therefore, there should be no difficulty for the Government to at least reimburse the expenditure which was incurred by the petitioner by way of payment made by him to the AIIMS. Learned counsel for the State, on the other hand, by placing reliance on Government resolution dated 20.5.2006 (Annexure-A), reading as follows:- la0 jk0 14@fofo/k&04@2006 fcgkj ljdkj LokLF; ,oa i0 d0 foHkkx fo"k;& jkT; ljdkj ds dfeZ;ksa dh fpfdRlk dh Lohd`fr ,oa fpfdRlk O;; dh izfriwfrZ dh 'kfDr;ksa dk iR;k;kstuA oRrZeku esa LokLF; foHkkx ds ifji= la0 24@,e 12&01@99 4286¼24½ fnukad 11-12-99 }kjk jkT; ljdkj ds lsok oxZ dh jkT; ds vnj ljdkjh vLirkyksa esa fpfdRlk esa gq, O;; :0 5000 -00 rd dh izfriwfrZ esa Lohd`fr ds fy, dfri; 'krksZa ds v/khu fu;a=.k inkf/kdkjh izkf/kd`r gSA :0 5000@& ls vf/kd dh izfriwfrZ ds ekeyksa esa izfriwfrZ dh Lohd`fr LokLF; ,oa i0 d0 foHkkx }kjk foRr foHkkx dh lgefr ls nh tkrh gSA bl O;oLFkk ls jkT; dfeZ;ksa dh izfriwfrZ dh jkf'k izkIr gksus esa izfdz;kRed foyEc dk lkeuk djuk iM+rk gS vkSj mUgsa vkfFkZd dfBukbZ Hkh gksrh gSA 2- blh izdkj jkT; ls ckgj jkT; dfeZ;ksa dks fpfdRlk gsrq fcgkj mipkj fu;ekoyh ds fu;e&26 ds }kjk ljdkj dks izkIr fo'ks"kkf/kdkj dk mi;ksx dj] izkf/kd`r fpfeRld ,oa jkT; fpfdRlk i"kZn dh vuq'kalk ij LokLF; foHkkx }kjk foRr foHkkx dh lgefr ls ljdkjh vLirkykas esas ;k jkT; ljdkj }kjk ekU;rk izkIr vLirkyksa ¼VkVk eseksfj;y vLirky] eqacbZ dSalj jksx ds fy, ,oa lh0,e0lh0 Hksyksj& xqnkZ jksx ds fy,½ esa fpfdRlk djkus dh Lohd`fr nh tkrh gSA fpfdRlksijkUr ljdkjh dfeZ;ksa ds fu;a=.k inkf/kdkjh ds ek/;e ls izfriwfrZ gsrq nkok izkIr gksus ij tkapksijkUr vuqekU; jkf'k dh izfriwfrZ dk jkT;kns'k foRr foHkkx dh lgefr izkIr dj LokLF; foHkkx }kjk fuxZr fd;k tkrk gSA mDr izfdz;k esa Hkh vR;f/kd le; yx tkrk gS rFkk jkf'k ds vHkko esa dfeZ;ksa ,oa muds ifjokj ds lnL;ksa dh fpfdRlk ckf/kr gksrh gSA 3- mijksDr izfdz;k dks ljy cukus ds mn~ns'; ls bl lEcU/k 3 esa lE;d fopkjksijkUr ljdkj }kjk fu.kZ; fy;k x;k gS fd& ¼i½ jkT; ds vUnj ljdkjh vLirkyksa@fpfdRlk dsUnzksa@jkT; ljdkj }kjk ekU;rk izkIr vLirkyksa esa djk;h x;h vUrokZlh fpfdRlk vkSj fu/kkZfjr jksxksa ds laca/k esa nfgokZlh fpfdRlk ij 20]000@& :i;s rd ds O;; dh izfriwfrZ dh 'kfDr lacaf/kr ljdkjh lsodksa ds fu;=.k inkf/kdkjh dks gksxkA ¼ii½ jkT; ds vUnj ljdkjh vLirkyksa@fpfdRlk dsUnzksa@jkT; ljdkj }kjk ekU;rk izkIr vLirkyksa esa djk;h x;h vUrokZlkh fpfdRlk vkSj fu/kkZfjr jksxksa ds laca/k esa nfgokZlh fpfdRlk ij 20]000@& :i;s ls 2]00]000@& :i;s rd ds O;; dh izfriwfrZ dh 'kfDr lacaf/kr ljdkjh lsod ds foHkkxh; lfpo dks gksxkA foHkkxh; lfpo] vkarfjd foRrh; lykgdkj ds ijke'kZ ls O;; dh izfriwfrZ laca/kh Lohd`fr nsaxsA nks yk[k ls mij ds izLrko es lacaf/kr foHkkx }kjk foRr foHkkx dh lgefr ls fu.kZ; fy;k tk;sxkA ¼iii½ jkT; ds ckgj ljdkjh vLirkyksa@jkT; ljdkj }kjk ekU;rk izkIr vLirkyksa esa vUrokZlh rFkk fu/kkZfjr jksxksa ds laca/k esa ofgokZlh fpfdRlk ij nks yk[k rd ds O;; ds izfriwfrZ dh 'kfDr lacaf/kr foHkkxh; lfpo dks gksxkA foHkkxh; lfpo vkarfjd foRrh; lykgdkj ds ijke'kZ ls O;; dh izfriwfrZ dh Lohd`fr nsxasA nks yk[k ls mij ds izLrko ij lacaf/kr foHkkx }kjk foRr foHkkx dh lgefr ls Lohd`fr nh tk;sxhA ¼iv½ jkT; ds ckgj ljdkjh vLirkyksa ;k jkT; ljdkj }kjk ekU;rk izkIr vLirkyksa esa izFkeokj fpfdRlk djkus dh vuqefr ds fy;s lacaf/kr izLrko esa ljdkjh fpfdRlk egkfo|ky; vLirky] bfUnjk xka/kh vk;qfoZKku laLFkku] iVuk ds lacaf/kr foHkkx ds foHkkxk/;{k@bfUnjk xka/kh g`n; jksx laLFkku iVuk ds funs'kd dh vuq'kalk ij lacaf/kr ljdkjh lsod ds fu;a=h inkf/kdkjh vuqefr iznku djsaxasA blds i'pkr izR;sd psd&vi ds iwoZ lacaf/kr ljdkjh lsod ds foHkkxh; lfpo dks lacaf/kr ckgjh laLFkku ds lacaf/kr fpfdRld dh vuq'kalk ij vuqefr iznku djsaxsaA ¼v½ jkT; ds ckgj vFkok ljdkjh vLirkyksa@jkT; ljdkj }kjk vU; ekU;rk izkIr vLrkyksa esa vUrokZlh fpfdRlk ds fy;s lacaf/kr laLFkku ds izkDdyu ds vk/kkj ij 8 izfr'kr rd dh jkf'k vf/kdre nks yks[k rd fpfdRlk vfxze vkarfjd foRRh; lykgdkj ds ijke'kZ ls foHkkx ds lfpo }kjk Lohd`r fd;k tk;sxkA nks yk[k ls vf/kd fpfdRlk vfxze dh Lohd`fr foRr foHkkx dh lgefr ds i'pkr foHkkxh; lfpo }kjk nh tk;sxhA ¼vi½ izfr.k ls lacaf/kr Lohd`R;kns'k izfriwfrZ ds fy, l{ke inkf/kdkjh fua=.k inkf/kdkjh@foHkkxh; lfpo ds dk;kZy;@foHkkx ls fuxZr fd;k tk;sxkA vfxze ls lacaf/kr Lohd`R;kns'k lacaf/kr foHkkx ls fuxZr fd;k tk;sxkA ¼vii½ fpfdRlk izfriwfrZ@ vfxze es gksus okys O;; dk ogu vk;&O;; dks mlh 'kh"kZ ls gksxk ftlls lacaf/kr ljdkjh lsod viuk osru vkfn izkIr djrs gSA lacaf/kr 'kh"kZ ds vUrxZr izkFkfed bZdkbZ 01 47 fpfdRlk izfriwfrZ ls fodyuh; gksxkA lacaf/kr fudklh ,oa O;;u inkf/kdkjh osru bZdkbZ esa izkIr vkoaVu esa ls fpfdRlk izfriwfrZ@vfxze dh jkf'k mfYYf[kr izkFkfed bdkbZ esa LFkkukUrfjr dj izfriwfrZ@vfxze foi= dh fudklh djsxasA osru en eas dqy vkoafVr jkf'k ,oa izfriwfrZ bZdkbZ esa LFkkukUrfjr jkf'k micaf/kr jkf'k ls vf/kd ugha gksxhA ¼viii½ vfxze jkf'k dk lkeatu fudklh ds vf/kdre N% ekg ds vUnj fd;k tkuk lqfuf'pr fd;k tk;sxkA iwoZ ds vfxze ds lkeatu ugha gksus ij f}rh; vfxze Lohd`fr ugha fd;k tk;sxkA fu/kkZfjr vof/k esa vfxze lkeaftr ugha gksus ij lacaf/kr ljdkjh lsod dks vlkeaftr vfxze dh jkf'k dks ,d eq'r tek djuk gksxkA vfxze dh fudklh ,d ekg ds Hkhrj fpfdRlk izkjEHk ugha gksus ij vFkok fpfdRlk gsrq 4 izLFkku ugha djus ij vfxze dh lEiw.kZ jkf'k ,d eq'r jktdks"k eas tek djus dk nkf;Ro lacaf/kr fudklh ,oa O;;u inkf/kdkjh ,oa fu;a=.k inkf/kdkjh dk gksxkA ¼ix½ mijksDr izfdz;k esa :ikUrj.k esa blesa foHkkx }kjk Hkfo"; esa foRr foHkkx dh lgefr ls fd;k tk ldsxkA g0@& 20@05@06 ¼vjfoUn dqekj flag½ ljdkj ds mi lfpo has laid stress on the aspect that the Government has formulated a policy in which no employee can straightway get himself treated outside the State at the Government expenditure without being referred to by the specialist of the State. Counsel for the State has further submitted that the petitioner in fact had not been referred for treatment at AIIMS by any government doctor of even Samastipur where he was posted and is said to have developed the chronic Cardiac problem and in fact it was a private doctor at Samastipur who had referred the petitioner for his being treated at AIIMS. He has also submitted that the District Education Officer, the controlling authority of the Patna, was himself not competent to allow the petitioner such treatment to be undertaken outside the State of Bihar. In the considered opinion of this court, the case of the petitioner cannot be rejected 5 on the ground of the Government resolution dated 20.5.2006, inasmuch as, that is only prospective in nature whereas the case of the petitioner for his treatment in the AIIMS as per the prescription annexed with the writ application had already started on 3.10.2005 (Annexure-3). The petitioner, in fact, was admitted in AIIMS Delhi on 3.10.2005 and in this regard, the following statement made in paragraph no.9 of the writ application:- “9. That on 1.10.2005 the petitioner proceeded for AIIMS, New Delhi for his emergent treatment and he was admitted in the AIIMS, at New Delhi on 3.10.2005 and after going through all the formalities he was advised for urgent Angiography. On 4.10.2005 Angiography of the petitioner was done and it was detected that one of his main artery was mostly blocked and he was asked to deposit Rs. 80,000/- but as the petitioner had not gone with a huge amount, shown his inability to deposit the same Doctors of the AIIMS at Delhi prescribed some medicines including life saving drugs and advised him to take proper precaution and also asked him to come with the money so that proper treatment may be done.” has not been controverted by the respondents in their counter affidavit. Once this aspect becomes clear that the petitioner’s case would not be governed by the Government resolution dated 20.5.2006 as contained in Annexure-A, this Court will have 6 no difficulty in holding that the petitioner’s serious condition, in which he was moved for treatment at AIIMS, would make him entitled to get reimbursement of the actual expenditure spent in his treatment at AIIMS. The writ application is fit to be allowed and impugned order dated 7.6.2007 is accordingly quashed. The petitioner was in service on the date of his being moved for treatment to AIIMS and is now a retired person and, therefore, he would be entitled for actual expenditure incurred by him for his treatment in AIIMS as is supported and certified by the cash receipts given by the authorities of the AIIMS. It is, however, made clear that any private treatment taken by the petitioner either at Delhi or in any other places will not qualify for such reimbursement but whatever amount has been paid by the petitioner for his treatment at AIIMS and is supported by the cash receipts of AIIMS must be paid to the petitioner. This exercise of actual payment to the petitioner must be completed by the concerned Authorities within a period of three months from the date of 7 receipt/production of a copy of this order made to the petitioner. With the aforesaid observation and direction this application is, accordingly, allowed to the extent indicated above. Rsh (Mihir Kumar Jha, J.)