The Govt. of India created web site Senior Citizens Corner states” Senior Citizens are the treasure to
our Society. They have worked hard all these years for the development of the nation as well as
the Community .They possess a vast experience in different walks of life . The
youth of to day can gain from the experience of the Sr. citizens in taking the
nation to greater heights. At this age
of their life they need to be taken care of and made to feel SPECIAL. Indian
Govt. provides several benefits through its Schemes in various sectors of
Development With various Tax Benefits ,
Travel and health care facilities
provisioned for them the Govt. has created reasons for Sr.Citizens is aimed at providing details on various aspects concerning them.”
PENSION RELATED ACTS/RULES :
To safe guard the interests and rights of Sr.citizens
the GOVT. has framed various Acts and
Rules. It helps to have a thorough knowledge of these Acts and Rules to keep
track on pension matters and the process of getting HASLE FREE PAYMENTS.
Another Benefit of knowing about these Acts IS TO GUARD AGAINST BEING CHEATED
OF YOUR PENSION GRANTS.
The following RULES and ACTS are administered by the Dept. of
Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare .
Pensioners procedures.
Central Civil Services (pension) Rules 1972
The pension Act 1871
Central Civil Services ( commutation of pension) Rules 1981
etc.
Life Insurance Corporation of India is a STATE. The employees of the Corporation are public
servants. A thorough knowledge of our Pension Rules is very necessary for us.
These Rules made U/S 48 of L.I.C Act
1956 are mandatory and provides rights
to the pensioners to avail pension benefits. The Central Civil Services
(pension) Rules 1972 and Central Civil Services (commutation of pension)Rules
1981 are relevant to us because they are specifically mentioned in
our pension Rule 56. We are entitiled to
enjoy the benefits of these Central
Govt. Rules. But our management is ignoring to implement this rule .Thus we the pensioners are being cheated by the
L.I.C because of our lack of knowledge of the Rule 56 which provides for
updation of pension with each wage revision in terms of the Central Govt. Rules
provided for in our Rule 56.
To quote Justice
K.G.Balakrishnan from the booklet “RETIRAL BENEFITS AS A HUMAN RIGHT
–NHRC INITIATIVES” : “ Retiral Benefits
are the accumulated savings of life time service. Denial ,nonpayment or delayed
payment of the same is not only tantamount to denial of an individual’s RIGHT
TO PROPERTY but is also A VIOLATION OF
THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE VICTIM AND THEIR NEXT OF KIN WHEREIN THEIR LIVELYHOOD
IS AFFECTED OFTEN TIMES RESULTING IN UNTOLD MISERY ,STARVATION AND POVERTY.
The Supreme Court constitution Bench held in DEOKINANDAN
PRASAD vs BIHAR “This Court authoritatively ruled that PENSION IS A RIGHT and
the payment of it does not depend upon the DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT but is
GOVERENED BY RULES and a Govt. servant
coming within those RULES is ENTITLED TO CLAIM PENSION .
Pension is the deferred portion of the compensation for long and devoted services
rendered by an employee with the employer. It is a social welfare measure as
well. Article 21 of the Constitution of India guarantees every one a
fundamental RIGHT TO LIVELIHOOD , which includes entitlement to receive his
deferred wages in accordance with RULES after retirement. Non-payment of
retiral benefits ,therefore is violation
of one’s fundamental right under Art.21 The right to receive the same is not only a fundamental right but is also a
Right To PROPERTY under Article 300-A of Constitution of India which can not be
taken away except by Authority of Law. (under which Rule LIC pensioner is
denied the benefit of updation or the benefit of 100% D/R )
The commission expects that the Executive in India will understand their important role in
strengthening the Social Security regime in the country and take all necessary
steps to promote and protect the RIGHTS of the entitled persons to receive the retiral
benefits .NHRC has strong belief that when all the stake holders contribute to
this resolve a happy and developed India will not be distant
dream.( just think about the role of the officials of FOM and L.IC)
In the light of the above
it is very much clear that the PENSION RULES are paramount more so when they are mandatory . Here it may
be stressed that the Amendments to the Rules are also mandatory. In our
case the G.O 553(E)Dt.22-6-2000 which empowered L.I.C to amend Rule 36,37,39
is also mandatory . L.I.C which removed the tapering D.A formula for in service employees and also the
retirees with effect from 1-8-97 should not have continued with the tapering
D/R formula to the pre Aug 97 retirees . So this group was subjected to
discrimination which is violative of the
constitution Art 14,16. When L.I.C found the anomaly and the resultant
hardship the amending power should have
been utilized to set right the matter,
instead L.I.C sought the approval of the GOVT. The GOI is duty bound as per Rule 55A(power to
relax) to approve the L.I.C
recommendation to remove the hard ships. We may recall that S.C declared in deoki nandan Prasad that Pension is RIGHT and payment of it “does
not depend upon the discretion of the Govt”.But is governed by RULES. So as per
our pension rules L.I.C ought not to have sought approval being the amending Authrity . But when approval was sought the
G.O.I should have acted upon the Rule 55A .It is obvious the L.I.C /G.O.I flouted the Rules. Similarly L.I.C should have acted as per Rule 56 to confer the benefit of updation upon retirees with each wage revision as per the Central Govt. Rules enshrined in
the Rue 56.Thus the management and Govt. combine are flouting the rules to cheat the retirees to deprive them of their
legitimate pension benefits.
The S.C specifically asked the Delhi H.C to decide on
the cases of the post Aug 97 pensioners
for updation .So we have to marshal
strong points to ensure justice
to this group at Delhi H.C.
V.S.PRAKASARAO
Visakhapatnam.