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| CAT pulls up J&K Govt for withholding retirement dues, orders full pension release in 6 weeks | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 16 : In a significant relief to a retired government officer, the Central Administrative Tribunal, Srinagar Bench, has directed the Jammu and Kashmir authorities to process and release the pension along with all retiral benefits of former Principal, Government Polytechnic College, Pulwama, Firdous Ahmad Itoo, within six weeks. The Tribunal further warned that failure to comply within the stipulated period would make the respondents liable to pay interest at 6 per cent per annum.
The order was passed by a Bench comprising Member (Judicial) M.S. Latif and Member (Administrative) Prasant Kumar in OA No. 660/2024. The petitioner had challenged Government Order No. 313 of 2024 dated September 4, 2024, to the extent it granted only provisional pension while withholding other post-retirement benefits including gratuity and allied dues.
The Tribunal noted that the retired officer had superannuated on April 30, 2024, and had completed all required formalities for release of his pensionary benefits. Despite this, the authorities failed to sanction and disburse his full retiral du The Tribunal warned that failure to comply within the stipulated period would make the respondents liable to pay interest at 6 per cent per annum.
The order was passed by a Bench comprising Member (Judicial) M.S. Latif and Member (Administrative) Prasant Kumar in OA No. 660/2024.
The petitioner had challenged Government Order to the extent it granted only provisional pension while withholding other post-retirement benefits including gratuity and allied dues.
The Tribunal noted that the retired officer had superannuated on April 30, 2024, and had completed all required formalities for release of his pensionary benefits.
During the proceedings, the petitioner’s counsel, Ms. Sehreen Zahra, argued that the denial of full pensionary benefits was arbitrary and unjustified, particularly when no FIR or departmental enquiry was pending against her client. On the other hand, the respondents were represented by M/s Rais ud Din Ganai, Deputy Advocate General, and Ms. Rahila Khan.
The Tribunal observed that the respondents had nowhere established the petitioner’s involvement in any offence and even recorded that no FIR, trial or enquiry was pending against him. Holding that pension and retiral benefits are not a bounty but a rightful entitlement earned through long service, the Bench said the petitioner had been deprived of his dues for no fault of his.
Disposing of the application, the Tribunal directed the respondents to release the pension and all allied retiral benefits within six weeks from the date a copy of the judgment is served upon them. It also asked the petitioner to cooperate by submitting all required documents for expeditious finalisation of his pension case. |
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