Pay 20% Additional Pension To Petitioners: HC To Govt

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh principal bench of the High court in Jabalpur has instructed the state government to pay additional pension amount to the petitioners within three months from the date of communication of the order.

The court said that if the government fails to make the payment within the stipulated time, the increased pension amount will accrue interest at a rate of 6% per annum from the date of the court order. Justice Vivek Jain passed the order. HC directed that the petitioners shall be entitled to get 20% additional pension from the date they entered 80th year of age and not from the date they completed 80th year of age.

In other words, they would be entitled to get 20% additional pension from the date they completed 79 years of age and entered 80th year of age. Other benefits of 85th and 90th year of age would be extended to the petitioners if they become entitled for such benefits in future. Advocate Aditya Sanghi, who appeared on behalf of petitioners, said, “The claim of the petitioners is that there is a scheme of the State Government to grant 20% additional pension to the pensioners on completing 80 years of age.

The grievance is that the respondents are applying the date of completion of 80th year of age for the purpose of grant of benefit of 20% additional pension whereas the relevant date for grant of such benefits would be the date on which the petitioners entered 80th years of age and not completed 80th year of age.”