Provide Medical Reimbursement To Retired HC Judges And Family Members, SC Tells State/UTs [Read Order]

In an order passed in October, last year, the bench has directed the States/UTs, to provide all facilities at par with sitting Judges, Reimbursement for medical treatment in private hospital without prior approval of the State Government, Sanctioning authority to be the Registrar General of the High Court, Reimbursement to be provided for treatment taken in any other State; and Cashless facility.

In the hearing conducted on Tuesday, the Amicus Curiae P.H. Parekh reported that the majority of the States and Union Territories are in default of this Court's order.

While again issuing the direction, the bench comprising the Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said that any failure to provide medical facilities in terms of these directions will be construed an act of defiance of the Court order, and the Chief Secretaries of the States/Union Territories shall be held accountable.

Listing the matter after four weeks for hearing, the bench further ordered:

"We further direct the Registrars General of each of the High Courts of the concerned States/Union Territories to sanction reimbursement of funds for availing all medical facilities by retired Chief Justices and Judges of the High Courts including their spouses and dependent family members, in terms of our directions quoted above. The Registrars General of the High Courts regardless of the action or inaction on behalf of the State authorities, will sanction reimbursement claims as and when made, in terms of the directions in the order dated 24.10.2018 and the present order."

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