Clear salary of comatose officer within 7 days: HC to commercial taxes dept

JAIPUR: Rajasthan HC Thursday ordered the commercial taxes department to release within seven days the full salary and arrears of one of its officers who has been without pay for over a year since slipping into a coma in Aug 2023.

HC passed the order after hearing a plea by the officer’s wife. The petitioner’s counsel said the officer, Surendra Singh Chawra from Bhilwara, had been appointed to the department in 2006. He went on to become an assistant commercial tax officer, Pratapgarh circle, after several promotions.

“On Aug 7, 2023, he suffered a brain haemorrhage and underwent surgery. He slipped into a coma soon after and remains in that state to this day,” the petitioner’s counsel told HC. The department paid Chawra’s salary for a year after the mishap, until Aug 2024, against pending leaves and other administrative entitlements. Following this, the salary was stopped, and he was classified as “on leave without pay”, the counsel added.

Chawra was the sole breadwinner of his family, which included his wife, two kids, and parents, the counsel told HC. Concerned about the family’ plight, a single-judge bench of Justice Ravi Chiraniya told the dept to clear any administrative hurdles in the process of releasing Chawra’s salary.

“If one month’s salary is not paid, the whole family suffers adversely. In this case, the employee is in a coma, and the family also faces heavy medical expenses. How will they survive in such circumstances?” the judge asked. “...Since Diwali is ahead, ensure outstanding payment in this case in next 7 days”, the HC order read.