Goa human rights panel orders ₹30L refund to retired doc

Panaji: Goa human rights commission has directed the public health department to refund Rs 30 lakh wrongly deducted from a retired govt employee.

The commission directed that the amount be refunded within 60 days, failing which it would be payable with 6% interest per annum until the final payment.


Govt has deducted the amount from the pension and gratuity dues of a woman who retired as a senior gynaecologist at South Goa district hospital, stating that an excess amount was paid earlier to her due to an error in her pay calculation.

She retired in Nov 2022 and received a letter in Feb 2024 from the deputy directorate of accounts regarding the overpayment.

She said she was compelled to give consent to the recovery of her dues between 2009 and 2022, but there was no fault on her part.

The amount of Rs 20 lakh was recovered from her gratuity dues and Rs 10 lakh from pension arrears.

The commission said that recoveries cannot be made from retired employees, as the error was not due to any misrepresentation or fraud on her part, but due to an administrative error.

The panel’s acting chairperson, Desmond D Costa and member Pramod V Kamat did not agree with the govt’s contention that merely because she gave consent to recover the amount, it should not be refunded to her.

“Despite the undertaking, the Supreme Court ruled that recoveries from retired employees are generally impermissible if the excess payment was made due to an administrative error and not due to any fraud or misrepresentation by the employee,” the commission said.