#post-retirement benefits

A Delhi High Court ruling confirms that an employee who voluntarily retires after 25 years of service remains eligible for post-retirement medical facilities, declaring the 2010 amendment that removed ‘resignation’ from Rule 8.4 of the Medical Attendance Rules 2009 void. The decision obliges the Centre for Railway Information Systems to activate and fund the scheme for the retiree and spouse, setting a precedent for similar public-sector bodies.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has barred recovery of excess pension payments made more than five years after retirement, holding that delayed verification under Rule 59 and failure to issue NOC within one month of retirement extinguishes the state’s claim. This ruling reinforces the Rafiq Masih principle that administrative delays cannot be used to impose retrospective financial burdens on retirees, protecting thousands of government pensioners from arbitrary clawbacks.

Punjab & Haryana High Court rules that disciplinary proceedings initiated after retirement cannot be used to withhold full pension or Assured Career Progression (ACP) benefits. The court directed payment of all retiral dues with 6% interest within two months, reinforcing that superannuation extinguishes the state's power to penalize through financial deprivation.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court holds that undue delay in deciding post-retirement benefit claims violates Article 21. Authorities must decide representations within 30 days with reasoned orders.