Punjab and Haryana High court calls for details of pending pension cases

Chandigarh, April 3

In a significant order aimed at ensuring timely disbursement of retirement benefits to ex-servicemen, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has called for an affidavit from the Defence Accounts Department on the number of pending pension cases. Reasons for not releasing pension to persons found entitled by the armed forces tribunal have also been sought.

Wrong path

An affidavit of the head of the Defence Accounts Department shall be filed, indicating as to how many cases relating to pension are pending with them and the reason for not releasing the pension to the persons in whose favour orders have been passed by the AFT. —The Bench

The Bench also made it clear that the officer concerned would remain present in the court, if the requisite affidavit was not filed. The directions by the Division Bench of Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sudeepti Sharma came on a petition filed against the Union of India and other respondents by former Sep Manohar Lal through counsel Ravi Badyal.

As the matter came up for preliminary hearing, the Bench issued notice of motion to the respondents before expanding the matter’s ambit into a broader call for accountability. “In the meantime, an affidavit of the head of the Defence Accounts Department shall be filed, indicating as to how many cases relating to pension are pending with them and the reason for not releasing the pension to the persons in whose favour orders have been passed by the AFT,” the Bench directed. The case will now come up for further hearing before the Bench on April 15.