The Supreme Court on Monday criticized the State of Uttar Pradesh for appealing against orders directing the payment of pensions to retired government servants [State of Uttar Pradesh and Another v. Shashi Srivastava].
A vacation bench comprising Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Rajesh Bindal expressed concern over the state’s frequent appeals against normal pension matters before the apex court.
“Why is the State coming to the Supreme Court to prevent someone from getting a pension? What is going on? Every time the State opposes the grant of a pension,” Justice Oka remarked.
When the counsel for Uttar Pradesh argued that the pensioner in question was employed on an ad-hoc basis and that there were errors in the Allahabad High Court’s decision to allow the pension, Justice Oka responded that anyone who has worked for many years deserves a pension.
“The Supreme Court is not meant for such matters. Someone who has worked for so many years is entitled to a pension,” he said before dismissing the appeal.
