HC directs PF Office to decide on plea for enhanced pension

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Y G Khobragade has directed the Employees Provident Fund Department to take a decision on the petitioners' pending applications for enhanced pension within 90 days as per the law.

“The decision taken should be communicated to every petitioner. If they are not satisfied, the bench has allowed them to follow an alternative course as per law. Similarly, if the time is insufficient to decide on the applications of the petitioners, the Employees Provident Fund Office can file a civil application and ask for an extension of time,” it was stated in the orders.

The Central Government made a new amendment in Sections 6 and 7 of Provident Fund Pension Scheme 1995. It was challenged in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court passed a decision on November 4, 2022, and extended the deadline of six months for employees who retired after 2014 to claim an increased pension based on salary.

In this background, Santu Ghuge, Pratap Shirsat, Khubchand Rathod and Suresh Hukumdar, who retired from the Maharashtra State Roat Transport Corporation (MSRTC) in 2014, submitted an application to the regional office Provident Fund at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on February 28, 2023 and demanded increased pension. Those applications are still pending with the PF Office.

The lawyer of the PF Office made a statement during the hearing that they would take a decision on the applications of the petitioners as soon as possible. At the end of the hearing, the bench disposed of all the petitions. Assistant Government Pleader Mahendra Neralikar, Neha Kamble, V M. Kagane and N K Chaudhary were present for the government.