The Madhya Pradesh High Court has served a notice to the principal accountant general, Gwalior, on a petition filed by retired judge and former deputy Lokayukta Umesh Chandra Maheshwari seeking direction for his gratuity payment. A division bench of Chief Justice SK Kait and Justice Vivek Jain issued notices while hearing the former judge's plea on Wednesday.
Justice Maheshwari became the deputy Lokayukta after his stint as a high court judge.
As per the plea, Maheshwari was appointed as the deputy Lokayukta of Madhya Pradesh with effect from June 28, 2016, and rendered his services till June 27, 2022.
Former judge's counsel, Saket Agrawal, said the petition has challenged the principal accountant general (A&ETT) Gwalior's order dated June 13 last year rejecting gratuity payment to his client as deputy Lokayukta.
He said the Madhya Pradesh government and governor have already approved the payment, but the principal accountant general issued an order contrary to provisions of section 5(5) of Lokayukta (Up-Lokayukta) Adhiniyam,1981 and provisions of the High Court Judges (Salary and Conditions of Service) Act, 1954. The court has also served notices to the state government and the secretary of the Lokayukta office, Agrawal said.
He said there is no such bar under relevant rules for payment of gratuity for working on the post of deputy Lokayukta, and therefore, the petitioner needs to be paid the same as per law.
