HC directs govt to release pending retirement benefits of asst engineer
2
Hyderabad: In a separate petition related to non-payment of
retirement benefits
,
Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka
directed the
state government
to release the long-pending arrears of a retired assistant engineer within 10 weeks, criticising the persistent delays that are forcing pensioners to approach the court for their rightful dues.The writ petition filed by A Narender Reddy, who had retired on June 30, 2024, after 40 years of unblemished service, highlighted that despite submission and approval of bills for his retirement benefits, the amount had not been released due to the status being marked as "awaiting government approval".
Despite repeated representations, no action was taken, leading to the present legal action.The petitioner's counsel, N Ramu, pointed out that under the Payment of Gratuity Act, employees are entitled to interest on delayed payments. He further contended that withholding of these admitted dues was not only illegal but also violated the petitioner's constitutional rights under Articles 14, 16, and 21.The government pleader admitted that while the bills were processed, the funds were not released due to financial constraints, and assured the court that disbursements would follow a serial order as per availability of funds.However, Justice Bheemapaka expressed concern over the increasing number of such writ petitions being filed by retired employees. "Employees devote their lives to public service, contributing to the economy and social structure, saving through schemes like GPF with the trust that their money will be available post-retirement. Delays in releasing their benefits not only breach this trust but also place them in financial hardship," he observed.
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