Telangana High Court on Friday directed the State government to review the latter’s order to defer 50% pension payments to retired employees in the backdrop of COVID-19.
A bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice T. Amarnath Goud, after hearing a writ petition through video conferencing, instructed the government to file an affidavit on the matter before Wednesday. Telangana Government Pensioners Joint Action Committee filed a writ petition challenging the government order issued on this March 30 relating to deferment of 50% of pension to retired employees.
Already, HC senior lawyer S. Satyam Reddy wrote a letter to HC Chief Justice on the matter. It was taken up as PIL petiton. The petitioners’ lawyer Chikkudu Prabhakar contended that lion’s share of the pension amount is spent by the retired employees towards medicines and other medical expenditure. In such circumstances, 50% deferment of the pension amount would land them in trouble in old age, the lawyer said.
‘Temporary decision’
The government’s decision would make it difficult for the retired employees to make both ends meet, he argued. Advocate General B.S. Prasad told the bench that it was a temporary decision taken by the government to handle the financial consequences emerging due to incidence of COVID-19 and lock-down.
The bench, however, asked would it not be difficult for the retired employees to face any medical emergency. Some of the retired employees live in old age homes and away from children. The bench appreciated the decision of public representatives like legislators to donate 50% of their honorariums to fight coronavirus.
Though government had facilitated reimbursement of medical expenses of retired employees, it would be difficult for the pensioners to withstand deferment of 50% of pension, the bench observed. The AG explained that 50% deferment of pension was only a temporary measure and the decision would be review.
The bench directed him to ask the government to review the matter and inform the HC. The matter was posted to April 22 for next hearing.
