Ludhiana: Despite directions from high court, agri varsity fails to revise pensions

PAU, Ludhiana, had said in the court that since the state government had not made any decision on arrears, the question regarding grant of benefits to the employees retrospectively had been pending with the state government

Despite Punjab and Haryana high court’s ruling, directing Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) to revise the pensions of the teachers who retired before 2016, the varsity has failed to take required action within the assigned time frame. The court had on December 11 last year directed the university to revise the pensions within four weeks from the receipt of the order.

On December 11, the PAU was asked by the Punjab and Haryana high court to ensure pension revision in four weeks. (HT File)

The Punjab government had in May 2023 issued a notification revising the pay scale of the teachers under the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms with effect from January 1, 2016. The pensions of teachers who retired before January 1, 2016 were not revised although they had been getting the UGC pay scale at the time of their retirement. Ever since, the teachers have been taking it up with the university to have their pension revised as per the new pay scales.

The PAU had said in the court that since the state government had not made any decision on arrears, the question regarding grant of benefits to the employees retrospectively had been pending with the state government.

“In the reply, the university has only mentioned that they have conceded the fact that as per the letter dated May 10, 2023, the serving employees have already been granted the benefit of revised pay under the UGC scale and the notification is applicable from January 1, 2016. However, it has been mentioned that the revised pay has been allowed from April 1, 2023, but the decision about the grant of arrears has not been decided even by the Punjab government and therefore the question of grant of the same to the employees retrospectively is pending consideration with the state. The state grants the approval to pay arrears to employees with effect from January 1, 2016, to those getting UGC scale, pension of the retirees will also be revised with effect from January 1, 2016,” noted the ruling.

The state government, meanwhile, said since the employees were from the PAU, the university was responsible for any decision. “Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the state submits that it has already taken appropriate decision qua the employees serving with the Punjab government. As the petitioners are from the Punjab Agricultural University, the authority competent to take decision in the matter is only the PAU and the state government has no role in the matter,” the ruling mentioned.

Besides revising the pension, the court also asked the university to release the arrears of the revised pension from January 2016 till May 2023 within a period of six months.

PAU comptroller Shami Kapoor said, “We have written to the state government regarding the issue and we are waiting for their response.”

PAU Teacher Pensioners’ Association president Sarjit Singh Gill, who retired in 2006 as director, extension education, explained that the confusion regarding pre and post January 2016 came with a “redundant” point the May 2023 state government’s notification. “The notification stated the pension of those teachers retired after January 2016 should be revised, which makes no sense as their pay scale would have been revised which would have automatically revised their pension. This redundant point has created all the problem,” he said.