Retirees Dues Deadline Set By Telangana High Court
- Telangana High Court sets April 9 deadline for retirees dues
- Finance Secretary warned over delay in retirement benefits
Hyderabad, March 23: The Telangana High Court has set April 9 as the final deadline for the state government to clear the dues of retired government employees. The order came after repeated delays and adjournments over the past six months. The court stressed that the government must act without further delay.
Justice Namavarapu Rajeswar Rao issued the directive while reviewing compliance with earlier court orders. He made it clear that the Finance Secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania must appear before the court if the government fails to meet the deadline. This warning followed continued non-compliance despite prior directions.
Earlier in the day, the court refused to accept the Government Pleader’s request to exempt the Finance Secretary from personal appearance. The plea cited Assembly session commitments. However, the judge insisted on accountability and directed the official to appear before the court.
Meanwhile, the court expressed serious concern over the prolonged delay in clearing retirement benefits. It noted reports that more than 80 retired employees had died under distress without receiving their dues. Therefore, the judge strongly criticised the government’s handling of the issue.
Thousands of retired employees had approached the court over the past two years. They sought payment of benefits such as GPF, gratuity, commutation, earned leave, surrender leave, and group insurance. Earlier orders had directed the government to clear these dues within six to ten weeks. However, those directions were not followed.
Legal counsel CR Sukumar informed the court that contempt petitions were filed after delays continued. Notices were served, yet the government sought repeated adjournments. As a result, the court issued strict notices and demanded personal accountability from officials.
Later, the Finance Secretary appeared online and assured the court that the government would prioritise clearing the dues. He stated that dues of 3,656 employees were recorded. Of these, 1,056 cases were cleared, while around 2,600 remain pending. He requested 30 more days to complete the process.
However, the court rejected the request for additional time. Instead, it fixed April 9 as the final deadline. The judge stated, “It is their own money. Give the good news for all the retired government employees by April 9,” reinforcing the urgency of the matter.
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