New Delhi, October 01, 2012 (PTI):
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has dismissed a former Indian
Telecommunication Services (ITS) officer’s plea for a hike in his pension,
saying he is not entitled to it till the departmental and judicial proceedings
against him are concluded.
A bench of CAT Chairman Syed Rafat
Alam and member Ramesh Chandra Panda gave the order on a plea by ITS officer R
P S Panwar against whom six disciplinary proceedings and one criminal case is
pending.
Panwar had contented his current
pension of Rs 23,913 should be hiked to Rs 38,772 as per the Sixth Central Pay
Commission’s recommendations as the disciplinary proceedings and criminal case
pending against him have been stayed by the concerned judicial authorities.
The CAT, however, dismissed his plea
saying “We are of the considered view that the applicant is not entitled to get
his provisional pension revised as per the sixth CPC until the departmental and
judicial proceedings pending against him are finally decided,”
Panwar, in his application, had told
the Tribunal that he was placed under temporary suspension from September 2003
and was allowed to retire on reaching the age of retirement in April 2006.
He had contented that he is entitled
to a higher pension as he had retired after the recommendations of the sixth
pay commission had come into effect from January 1, 2006.
The counsel for the Department of
Telecommunications had argued that Panwar should not be given any relief as he
is facing “serious” charges of amassing disproportionate assets.
Agreeing with the DoT’s argument,
the Tribunal ruled that he was not entitled to arrears of leave encashment and
other dues till the matters pending against him are resolved.
