PANJIM: In a major victory to the several government employees, who were made to retire early at the age of 58 instead of 60, the Goa government has announced to extend the revised pension benefit to all such employees along with the arrears.

Under Secretary Finance Pranab Bhat in an order issued on March 10, has directed all the heads of the department to process such cases within a time bound manner failing which they will be held responsible for contempt of the orders of the High Court.

As per the then government decision in 2005, several of its employees were made to retire early at the age of 58 instead of 60. The order was reverted in 2007, however, the employees who retired prematurely were not granted compensation for the two years of lost service despite their repeated protests and petitions, which forced them to move to High Court for justice.

“The government is pleased to extend to the eligible pre-matured pensioners, who were made to retire at the age of 58 years, the benefits of pension at the revised rates from the date, the eligible pensioner attains the age of 60 years including arrears of pension,” the order stated.

The High Court by a judgment dated September 5, 2022, observed that the employees were all appointed before May 30, 1987 — when the Goa, Daman and Diu Reorganisation Act, 1987, was enforced — and that their service conditions entitled them to continue working until they attained the age of 60 years.

“… there was no justification in retiring such employees upon their reaching the age of 58 years, in the absence of compliance with the provisions of Section 60(6) of the Reorganisation Act,” the Court had said.

Meanwhile, the State government has dissolved the committee constituted to examine/ scrutinise the representations received from pre-maturely retired pensioners in view of the High Court order.