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Ex-LIC staff move court for pension revision

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: A group of retired employees of the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC)has moved the Rajasthan High Court seeking orders for revision in their pension along with the increase in the pay scales of serving employees from time to time in accordance with a decision taken by the LIC Board of Directors in 2001.

The Court issued show cause notices to the Union Finance Secretary and Senior Divisional Manager of LIC on the writ petition filed by K.M.L. Asthana and 27 others.

The retired LIC employees have been agitating for the past decade for revision in their pension subsequent to the increase in the salaries of Class I, II, III and IV employees.

Petitioners' counsel Abhinav Sharma told the Court that the Board of LIC, after a series of dialogues with the associations of retired employees, ad resolved in November 2001 to revise pensions across the country and bear the financial implication to the tune of Rs. 51.37 crores per annum.

Even after the lapse of more than five years, the LIC has not implemented the decision.

he petitioners pointed out that the LIC had cited the lack of clearance by the Union Finance Minister as the reason for not acting upon its own decision.

Enhanced ex- gratia

Mr. Asthana and other petitioners also sought orders for enhancement in the ex-gratia amount of Rs. 300 per month paid to the employees who retired before the introduction of pension scheme in the LIC in 1986, in view of the rising inflation and cost of living.

Justice Ajay Rastogi of the High Court, taking cognisance of the fact that the Board of LIC had not implemented its decision to revise the pension of petitioners and similarly placed employees across the country, issued the notices and directed the respondents to submit their replies within two weeks.

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