The Allahabad High Court has directed the Central government to take a decision on the GPF and pension of a retired professor of Banaras Hindu University within a period of three months.
The Single-Judge Bench of Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh passed this order while hearing a petition filed by Professor Ajay Kumar Singh and 25 Others.
In this matter, the petitioners sought a direction upon respondent-University to release GPF and pension to the petitioners under the General Provident Fund Scheme.
In that regard, reliance has been placed on two decisions of the Delhi High Court as affirmed by the order of the Supreme Court on 10.5.2022.
Without entering into the merits, insofar as the claim made by the petitioners is prima facie tenable and the same is still pending and the University has already forwarded the same to respondent no 1(Union Of India) on 29.9.2022 who has to take a final decision in the matter, no useful purpose would be served in keeping the petition pending or calling for counter affidavit, pending that decision, the Court said.
Accordingly, the Court disposed of the petition with a direction, subject to petitioners filing a copy of the order before respondent No 1, said respondent shall verify the correct facts and pass appropriate reasoned order, as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of three months from the date of compliance shown by the petitioners.
The Court further directed that any amount found due and payable to the petitioners may be paid out within a further period of three months, failing which the same may attract interest @ 8% from the date amount becoming due till the date of its actual payment.