The Karnataka High Court has stayed the State government’s March 12, 2020 order, categorising retired teaching staff of government-run institutions of higher education, which has resulted in drastic reduction, up to 50% in certain cases, in the pension amounts of some of the retired staff.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the interim order on a batch of petitions filed by K.P. Sreenath and 26 others, who were serving in different departments of Bangalore University under UGC pay-scale and had retired from service during different periods after January 1, 2016.
The court has also directed the government to continue the payment of pensionary benefits to the petitioners subject to final result of the petition.
The petitioners alleged that the government, contrary to the basic principle of calculating the pension amount, has now discriminated retired persons based on the period of retirement for fixing the maximum pension amount payable to them.
As per March 12, 2020 notification, UGC-scale retired teaching staff, who retired between January 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017 are entitled to a maximum of ₹39,900 as pension per month. Those who retired between July 1, 2017 and March 30, 2018 are entitled for ₹69,925 and those retired after April 1, 2018 are entitled for a maximum ₹75,300 as pension.
It has been pointed out in the petition that pension amount of some of the retired teaching staff would reduced by 50% from their existing pension paid in the range of ₹64,000 to ₹75,000.
The petitioners have also questioned the constitutional validity of the Karnataka Regulation of Pay and Pension of Teachers in Higher Educational Institution, 2020.
