Status of Pension Revision & Court Case – Reason advanced by the authorities.
Meeting with Member (Services) and Director ( E) /DOT on 26.03.2024
On 26.03.2024, GS SNPWA/MREWA and President MREWA had a very elaborate and meaningful discussion with Member (Services).
After exchanging pleasantries of Holi, before we could say anything, Member (Services), on his own, instantaneously reacted and emphatically, in no uncertain terms, informed us that filing of Writ Petition by DOT in Delhi High Court against the Judgments of PB CAT ND should not be even remotely, and by any stretch of imagination, be construed as a counter measure to circumvent/scuttle the ongoing process of Pension Revision which has been initiated by DOT and continues to be under very active and serious consideration between DOT, D.O E and D.O.P& PW.
Member (Services) emphasized the this action of filing of Writ Petition is only an preventive legal move of DOT to legally insulate Secretaries of D.O T, D.O.E and D.O.P & PW, who are the Respondents in the Judgment of PB CAT ND, from any kind of personal appearance that could possibly arise as a consequence of any Respondent moving a contempt Petition in PB CAT ND. To block that unpleasant eventuality, it was felt necessary to file Writ Petition in Delhi High Court. Nothing more or less than that, Member (Services), firmly assured should be made out of or read as a consequence of this action of D.O.T
Member (Services) further went on to mention that initially DOT thought that the ongoing proposal of DOT for Pension Revision would materialize soon and that was the reason that any counter legal action by DOT was not contemplated. But now that the Proposal of Pension Revision, currently under consideration of D.O.E and D.O.P& PW, seems will take more time than expected by DOT, the need of filing Writ Petition was felt by D.O.T. In fact, filing of Writ Petition is in no way, whatsoever, connected to resolution of Pension Revision holistically and in a foolproof manner which DOT is pursuing with D.O.E and D.O.P & PW and whose resolution is going to take some more time.
.Member (Services) reiterated and reassured that filing of Writ Petition in Delhi High Court and simultaneously pursuing the issue of Pension Revision with D.O.E and D.O.P & PW are two parallel actions, independent of each other and must be seen in that context alone, nothing less or more than that .
Finally, Member (Services), on being specifically asked about prospect of Resolution of Pension Revision, exuded huge confidence and optimism by reassuring and unequivocally reiterating and maintaining that Pension Revision issue will be positively resolved holistically and that too in a manner where Pensioners in future would not have to run helter and skelter for their Pension Revision.
Meeting with Director (E) DOT.
We expressed our gratitude to Director (E) for his support and cooperation on the issue of Pension Revision and other issues from time to time and wished him all the success on his promotion to DDG (Term cell)/ Mumbai. Director (E) got relieved today and handed over charge to Director (Establishment ll)/ DOT.
On the issue of Pension Revision, Director (E) verbatim mentioned what M( S) subsequently revealed.
