Pension delay cannot be justified, says panel

District forums’ ruling on payment of full pension to retired coop. bank employees upheld

Holding that the right to receive pension is not dependent on the whims of any authority, the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has observed that there is no justification for either a delay in disbursement of pension or retaining a portion of pension of the retired cooperative bank employees by the Kerala State Cooperative Employees Pension Board.

The commission, headed by Justice K. Surendra Mohan, made the observation while dismissing an appeal filed by various cooperative banks and the pension board against district consumer forums’ orders to pay full pension to retired cooperative bank employees. The district consumer forums had also awarded compensation to the pensioners for the delay in disbursal of their pension amount. The commission upheld the forums’ orders.

The commission observed that as reiterated by the apex court and the High Court, “the right to receive a pension is a right that flows from the status of the pensioner as an employee”.