The Rs-10,000 ?typo? error

NEW DIRECTOR of the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) Dr AK Mahapatra is facing financial problem. He will get Rs 10,000 less than what he thinks he “should get”. The accounts department of the institute has taken stand that the salary of the director should be Rs 57,620 and not what Dr Mahapatra “now wants”—Rs 67,620.

The issue emerged out of an error made by the accounts department. Three persons, including Finance Officer of the institute, apologised to Dr Mahapatra for the error calling it ‘typographical’ error.

“In the salary statement that the department forwarded to the executive registrar to be forwarded to the director, a ‘typographic’ mistake occurred.

Instead of putting the DA (dearness allowance) as Rs 20,620, the person who composed the letter typed ‘2’ instead of ‘1’. So, instead of Rs 10,620 the DA in the letter showed as Rs 20,620,” said an accounts officer in the department.

The salary statement that the department had issued also mentioned a line that DA is 24 per cent of the basic salary, which is Rs 44,250. So, DA cannot be Rs 20,620. If DA is Rs 20,620, it becomes 48 per cent of the basic, which is just not possible, said the officer. The accounts department has written an office note to the director’s office on Saturday in repose to the note that the director had sent on Friday. The note serial number is PGI/AC/ 1783/2006, which clarified the whole issue and also tenders an apology in it.

The director, in his letter, mentioned that he be paid DA at the rate of Rs 20,620.  Finance officer Mohan Singh, accounts officer RN Singh and the assistant accounts officer, on Thursday, appeared before the director and apologised too. But “the director threatened to suspend the three officers” said the office note by the accounts department to the director’s office on Saturday.

Dr AK Mahapatra joined SGPGIMS as its new director on September 29. He came from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi where he was heading the department of neurosurgery.

The director has not received his salary yet. On Saturday, the accounts department had written a cheque of Rs 43,561 as provisional salary and sent it to him. The matter has already reached the Chief Secretary who is president of the institute and is likely to be referred to the Governor too who is the Visitor of the institute.  The Director was not available for his comment, while the finance officer refused to comment.