Mormugao civic body pulled up for delaying pension

Panaji: The delay in payment of pension arrears to an ex-employee of Mormugao Municipal Council is a “serious violation of his human rights”, the Human Rights Commission has held.
The commission in its inquiry report/order, has recommended that the chief officer of the municipal council pay Rs 60,000 arrears from January 2016 to August 2017 within a month, along with simple interest at six per cent per annum from September 1, 2017, till final payment.
The chief officer in December 2018 had submitted to the commission that the pension arrears under the 7th Pay Commission could not be disbursed due to paucity of funds and asked for three months to disburse the entire arrears of pension to the former employee.
But the former employee Krishnanath Pandurang Harmalkar in March 2019 stated that he had still not received his pension arrears. “More than two years have passed but the arrears have still not been paid to the complainant,” stated the three member commission comprising chairperson Justice U V Bakre and members Desmond D’Costa and Pramod V Kamat.
Under Section 18 (e) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the commission will send a copy of the inquiry report with its recommendation to the chief officer.
The commission in its inquiry report recommended that the chief officer pay Rs 60,000 arrears from the period January 2016 to August 2017 within a month