Salary of Bank Employees and Govt Officers put on hold as 80 year old begs for Pension Arrears
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has given a major relief to 80-year-old Jagdish Raj Arora, who had been running around government offices and banks for nearly 17 years to get his late wife’s pension dues paid.
The responsibility was being shifted between the government departments and banks and the petitioner was forced to wander to get the pension.
The court ordered that until the pension arrears are effectively resolved, the concerned government officials and the bank employees will not be paid their salaries without prior court permission.
The case relates to a petition filed by Jagdish Raj Arora in 2023, seeking payment of pension arrears to his wife Sudarshan Kumari, who retired as Block Primary Education Officer in Gurdaspur-II.
According to the petitioner, his wife’s pension arrears have been pending since 2007. Despite repeated efforts, the Pension Disbursing Authority and the bank continued to shift the responsibility on each other.
During the hearing, the High Court found that there was no dispute regarding the petitioner’s right to the pension arrears. The District Education Officer of Gurdaspur responded that the office of the Accountant General, Punjab, had issued a letter to the District Treasury Officer on September 24, 2012, but the Bank of India had not implemented it.
The bank stated that the pending pension could not be released due to certain non-compliances by the District Treasury Officer. Justice Kuldeep Tiwari noted that the petitioner is in the final stages of his life and yet he has to wander around seeking his legitimate rights.
After hearing the rival contentions, Justice Tiwari observed: “The petitioner, who is in the twilight of his life, has unfortunately been compelled to run from pillar to post for securing his rightful due. The continued hardship suffered by the petitioner is attributable to the lackadaisical and indolent approach adopted by the authorities concerned. Significantly, the respondents have, till date, failed to satisfy this Court as to any legal impediment preventing release of the arrears of pension to the petitioner.”
Taking strict action, the High Court directed the secretaries of the School Education Department and Finance Department of Punjab that the District Education Officer and District Treasurer of Gurdaspur will not be able to withdraw their salaries without prior permission of the court.
Similarly, the Deputy General Manager of Bank of India was also directed that the concerned Branch Manager would also not be able to withdraw salary without the permission of the court.
“Likewise, the Deputy General Manager (DGM), Bank of India, is directed to ensure that respondent-Senior Manager, Bank of India, Branch District Shopping Complex, Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar, and respondent-Branch Manager, Bank of India, Gurdaspur, shall also not draw their salaries without prior permission of this Court,” the Bench stated.
Next hearing has been scheduled for 26 November.
