Widow, 91, to get pension 46 yrs after husband’s death

Cuttack/Kendrapada: The Orissa high court has directed the Kendrapada collector to pay family pension to a 91-year-old widow whose husband, a school teacher, died 46 years ago.
The single judge bench of Biraja Prasanna Satapathy on Wednesday issued the direction in the case of Hara Sahoo, widow of Benudhar Sahoo, who was an assistant teacher at Ratnakar Middle English School, Kasoti, when he died on August 26, 1977.
The widow had filed several representations for family pension before school and mass education authorities in Kendrapada district since 1991, but in vain. The Kendrapada collector rejected her representation for family pension, gratuity, and other service benefits on August 21, 2023. After that the widow moved the high court on October 19, 2023.
The state authorities had taken the stand that the case was not eligible for family pension as it was introduced after the death of her husband. However, Justice Satapathy granted the relief considering the fact that though Benudhar died in 1977, in normal course he would have retired in 1983.
“Hara Devi is now 91 and stays with her only son, a 60-year-old retired fisheries department employee, daughter-in-law and three grandsons at Palei Derakundi in Kendrapada district,” said advocate Ganeswar Behera, who argued on behalf of the widow, on Saturday.
“I have three grandsons and two great granddaughters. I will spend all the money on the education of my great granddaughters ,” said Hara.