The Telangana High Court has taken a stern view of the delay in disbursing retirement benefits to former employees. On Wednesday, Justice Namavarapu Rajeshwar Rao directed the state finance department to furnish complete details of all retired government staff who are still awaiting their post-retirement benefits, along with the token numbers issued for payment clearance, within two weeks.
Court's Directive and Background
Justice Rao issued the direction after noting that the department had failed to honour an earlier undertaking to the court that all pending retirement benefits would be cleared. The judge was hearing more than 750 writ petitions and contempt cases related to the issue. During the proceedings, Justice Rao questioned why the principal secretary of the finance department had not ensured compliance with the assurance given to the court regarding the settlement of retirement dues.
Hardship Faced by Retired Employees
Observing that many retired employees continue to face hardship because of the delay, the court directed the authorities to place on record all relevant details, including the status of payments and token allotments. The court expressed its displeasure over the lack of progress and emphasized the need for timely disbursement of benefits to retired government employees.
Next Steps
The matter was adjourned for further hearing. The finance department is now required to submit a comprehensive report within two weeks, detailing the names of retired employees, their pending benefits, and the token numbers issued for payment clearance. The court has made it clear that any further delay would be viewed seriously.
