SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir directed the Waqf Board authorities to consider the case of its retired employees for pension grant, as done for similarly situated employees, Daily Excelsior reported.
42 retired employees approached the court through Counsel S A Makroo, seeking redressal of their grievances. Justice Sanjay Dhar granted interim relief to these employees, directing the Board to consider their pension processing.
The court also issued a notice to the Board authorities to file a reply to the main petition.
Counsel Makroo referred to the “Jammu Kashmir Muslim Specified Waqf and Specified Waqf Properties Board Employees Service Regulation 2007” and submitted that the petitioners are entitled to pension under Rules 69 to 84 of the regulation. He argued that despite reaching superannuation age, the petitioners’ pension cases were not processed, compelling them to approach the court.
These retired employees were appointed between 1986 and 2012 and retired between 2022 and 2024, qualifying for pension under Rule 69. The Board is duty-bound to process and notify retirement notifications by June every year and process cases three months before retirement.
The court was informed that the delay in pension payment violates the petitioners’ fundamental and constitutional rights and service regulations, unlike similarly situated employees.
Before approaching the court, the petitioners submitted representations dated 12.06.2023 and 19. 06. 2023 to settle their grievances, Counsel Makroo said.