Team Herald
PANJIM: Call it callous attitude or washing its hands of responsibilities towards senior citizens, the State government has failed to pay pensioners their dues in terms of increments for the past several years.
Despite judicial pronouncements, the State government is taking their issues very lightly, leading to harassment and gross financial loss to them, say pensioners.
Herald understands that in the matter of revision of pension of State pensioners a decision was taken by the previous government to apply in toto the recommendations of the Central Pay Commission in the absence of a State Pay Commission. This has been followed till date in the absence of any decision to the contrary.
However, in a recent decision, the State, pursuant to the Central government memorandums dated November 9, 2011 and September 3, 2013, ordered implementation of the recommendations of the V Central Pay Commission in respect of the Goa pensioners according to which the pensioners are entitled to a revision of pension as on January 1, 1996 on a notional basis in the revised pay scale of pay for the post held by the pensioner at the time of retirement.
By a letter dated February 7, 2014, the pension section recommended upgradation of pension with effect from January 1, 1996 to seven gazetted officers but surprisingly the order was withdrawn without assigning any reason.
Adv Nuno Colaco, who was the former Deputy Director in Accounts Department, told Herald that the memorandum was withdrawn under misconception of law that the Central memorandum dated November 9, 2011, required adoption by the State.
“The Supreme Court ruling clearly states that if a person retiring is eligible for pension at the time of his retirement and if he survives till the time of subsequent amendment to the relevant scheme, he would be eligible to get the enhanced pension or would become eligible to get more pension as per the new formula of computation of pension,” he said.
This has forced some pensioners to file a writ petition in the High Court but the matter is pending for more than six months as the government advocate keeps seeking adjournments without any reason.
“Pension is not a bounty or a gift, but a payment for the past service rendered by the pensioners,” Adv Colaco said.
