The State government has proposed to withdraw its 2018 decision that provided for enhanced pension and family pension for about 1,300 professors and medical officers, who retired from the Health and Family Welfare Department, since it was a “mistake”. The proposal to withdraw the enhanced pension was expected to result in the reduction of between ₹15,000 and ₹20,000 a month for each of the 1,300 pensioners and is expected to save ₹30 crore a year to the State exchequer.
It was during a re-examination of a G.O. issued on July 12, 2018, following representations from other applicants seeking similar enhanced pension that the government realised that the decision was a mistake on technical grounds. However, the government may not recover the difference amount from the pensioners.
Considering various aspects and the estimated recurring expenditure involved, the government recently communicated to each of these pensioners that “it may not be feasible” to sustain the orders issued through the G.O. 236 of July 12, 2018. Consequently, it has been proposed to be cancelled with prospective effect and the enhanced pension/family pension drawn by medical officers/their family members “would be restored to the rates admissible prior to the issue of the G.O. without any recovery from their pension/family pension,” it said.
Decision draws flak
However, those who stand to lose the enhanced pension, asked: “How did the government issue a G.O. in 2018, if it says now that it is mistaken. How are we at fault here? Should the medical officers suffer for the mistake of the State government?”
An office-bearer of the Tamil Nadu Government Retired Medical Officers’ Association pointed out that a G.O. 106 issued by the Higher Education Department has enhanced pension for time-bound promotions. “G.O. 236 of the Finance Department itself was a re-examined G.O. Where is the need for re-examining a re-examined G.O.?” he asked.
In another case of P.G. Kulandaivelu vs. the State of Tamil Nadu, the government cited the G.O. 236. “If the government withdraws now, won't it be a contempt of court?” he contended. “Those days we toiled for the government and even to this day we are consulting COVID-19 patients over the phone. Is this the respect the government gives us?” he asked.
When contacted, a senior official in the government told The Hindu: “The matter is now sub-judice. The G.O. issued in 2018 was a mistake. The government has not taken any decision as yet and we have only sought for responses from the pensioners”. He said though only about 1,300 people are presently getting the enhanced pension, several others are seeking a similar enhanced pension.
The financial implications, if all those seeking enhanced pension were granted, is about ₹300 crore a year (₹2 lakh a year per head for about 15,000 pensioners), the communication stated, which would increase with every passing year. “Given the present fiscal situation, the government is not in a position to afford the above financial commitment,” it added.
