Pension Rules etc-Sanjog Maheshwari

SANJOG MAHESHWARI

                                                                                                                C1-A-42 B M.I.G.FLATS,

                                                                                                  JANAKPURI, NEW DELHI-110058

 

 

              ENSURE COMPLETE PARITY AMONG ALL PENSIONERS

 

                                                                                                  -SANJOG MAHESHWARI

It is good that the Government has, reportedly, agreed to “one rank, one pension” demand of the Armed Forces thereby eliminating all the arbitrarily created disparities and differences between the various sections of the Armed Force pensioners. Similar arbitrarily created differences and disparities among the civil pensioners now need to be addressed and corrected thereby bringing all the pensioners, irrespective of their date(s) of retirement, at par, in all matters related to retiral benefits such as gratuity, family pension, leave encashment etc. on retirement. The date of retirement is now irrelevant for determining the quantum of pension etc. in case of armed personnel and so should also be the case with other Government pensioners. Accordingly, their pension etc. needs to be revised on the basis of their notional basic pay fixed at the proper stage in the new pay scales on every such revision of pay scales since their retirement.

 

Proper pension and pensionary benefits are sacrosanct, protected and greatly valued possession of a Government servant. Denying them to the pensioners whether pre-96 or Pre-2006 tantamount to travesty of justice and violation of Article 14 read with Article 31 (1) [Right to property] of the Constitution.

 

Article 14               mandates “Equality before the law” as a fundamental right of all the citizens. It completely outlaws “unreasonableness and arbitrariness” in executive action. However, these unfortunate elements seem to be deeply embedded in the very psyche of the bureaucracy and invariably factor-in in their decision making processes.

 

              Almost all these worthy super-senior citizens- particularly the  pre-96 pensioners- are over 70,  suffering from hosts of terminal debilitating diseases and struggling to survive the ravages of “ills, bills, pills” and “empty nest” syndromes. They have been crying foul ever since they were wronged. Sixth Pay Commission has also chosen to gloss over the matter and ignore the legitimate claims of Pre-96 pensioners. It is high time that the Government ensured to them the similar COMPLETE parity as granted to the Armed Force pensioners.

 

              Death and terminal diseases are no respecters of age and the government must act fast before it is too late.  It is high time the pension rules framing system is reoriented on the lines prevalent in the U.K. from where it, though originated, materially differs. While in the U.K. the system is governed by and flows from the “Statute”, here in our country instead of the “Statute” it is governed by the rules made in a government department manned by unduly biased bureaucrats for whom the word “reasonableness” does not seem to exist.

                                                                                                                -SANJOG MAHESHWARI.

C1-A-42 B M.I.G.FLATS,

JANAKPURI, NEW DELHI-110058