State can’t deny pension to devpt authority staff: SC

Cuttack: Supreme Court has rejected the state govt’s appeal against Orissa high court’s order declaring the Odisha Development Authorities (Retirement Benefit of the Employees) Rules, 2015, as invalid for denying pension to employees of development authorities appointed before Sept 17, 2005.A SC bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih on Friday observed, “No case for interference is made out in exercise of our jurisdiction under Article 136 of the Constitution of India.”In its order on Dec 4, 2023, HC had ruled that the govt rules exceeded the scope and authority of the provisions in the Odisha Development Authorities Act, 1982 and violated Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution.The SC decision is significant because the HC order had specified its applicability to three categories of employees working under any development authority constituted under the 1982 Act.The first category includes employees who are already receiving pension at par with their counterparts in state govt, and they cannot be affected by any subsequent rule. The second category consists of employees who joined a development authority before Sept 17, 2005, and they are entitled to retirement benefits at par with their govt counterparts, as they cannot be equated with employees working in an industry or factory.The third category consists of employees who joined after Sept 17, 2005, and they are entitled to benefits under the new pension scheme as applicable to their govt counterparts as per Odisha Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1992.HC’s ruling was based on a petition filed by Bhuban Mohan Dash, an employee of Cuttack Development Authority (CDA), who had challenged the validity of the govt rules. The court held that Dash, who was appointed prior to Jan 1, 2005, is entitled to receive pension like govt employees.

State govt employees to get early salary for Oct

The state government declared it will pay October salaries between October 23 and 25, before Diwali and the New Year. This decision came after employee associations requested early disbursement of salaries and pensions. An official statement confirmed the announcement made on Wednesday, aiming to support employees ahead of the festive season.

Veterans pension benefits apply from discharge date, not court order: HC

The Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that military pensioners are entitled to benefits from their discharge date, not the court order date. This decision came after Jaspal Singh contested an Armed Forces Tribunal order that granted him pension from its order date. The High Court declared Singh entitled to pension from his discharge date, with 7% annual interest.

CM announces 4% hike in DA of state govt employees

Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a four per cent hike in Dearness Allowance for state government employees, raising it to 50 per cent of the basic salary. Effective from October 1, this decision will benefit around 3.9 lakh employees and comes just ahead of the Diwali festival, offering a festive boost.

Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.