Telangana HC sets April 19 deadline for state to clear dues of 2,600 retirees
The court said more than 80 retirees have already died without receiving their rightful payments.
By - Newsmeter Network
Telangana High Court (File Photo)
Hyderabad: Telangana High Court has directed the state government to clear pending dues to 2,600 retired employees by April 9.
Expressing serious concern over delays in releasing retirement benefits, the court said more than 80 retirees have already died without receiving their rightful payments. The court described the situation as unacceptable.
“Not government money, but employees’ hard-earned savings”
Justice Namavarapu Rajeshwara Rao, while hearing a batch of contempt petitions, reminded the Finance Department that retirement benefits are not government largesse but the hard-earned savings of employees. He stressed that disbursing these dues is a mandatory responsibility, not something that requires court intervention.
Despite earlier court orders granting 6–9 months, the payments remain pending, with the government repeatedly seeking extensions, the court noted.
Deadline fixed for 2,600 pending cases
The court was hearing around 654 contempt petitions filed over non-implementation of its earlier orders directing payment of retirement benefits such as pension, GPF, commutation, gratuity, earned leave encashment, surrendered leave, and group insurance.
During the hearing, Finance Department Principal Secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania appeared online and informed the court that:
Tokens were issued to 3,656 retirees
Payments were completed for 1,056 beneficiaries
Dues for 2,600 retirees remain pending
He initially sought four more weeks, citing financial constraints, but the court rejected the request and fixed April 9 as the final deadline.
Court warns of personal appearance
The High Court made it clear that failure to meet the deadline would compel the official to appear personally in contempt proceedings. It also questioned the repeated delays and rejected arguments linking payments to fund shortages.
Judge expresses displeasure over official’s conduct
Justice Rajeshwara Rao also expressed dissatisfaction over the manner in which the official attended the virtual hearing. The judge questioned the lack of proper identification and decorum, asking whether officials had been trained in how to appear before the court in contempt cases.
The court underscored that there should be no need for judicial pressure to ensure payment of retirement benefits, reiterating that it is the government’s duty to release them promptly.
