Srinagar, Oct 5: As Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court next week is set to hear the case of 40 former Waqf Board employees who have been denied pension by the board, the retired employees said that authorities are yet to release their pension.
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This after, the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh high court in August order had asked authorities to “consider the processing of case of the petitioners for grant of pension on the analogy of similarly situated employees.”
In August, Justice Sanjay Dhar, after hearing a petition that 40 employees had issued notices to commissioner secretary revenue, chairperson and chief executive officer of J&K Waqf Board.
The former employees had said that employees who retired after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Darakshan Andrabi was appointed chairperson in March 2022 are not receiving their pensions.
On Saturday, one of the retired employees said that they continue to wait for the pension and they have been made to suffer for no reasons.
“We were hopeful that board authorities will start approving the cases of the employees. But, over a month has passed and nothing has happened. We continue to wait for it,” the employee said.
Another employee said that their families are suffering and no one is ready to listen to them. “In absence of any pension now, it has become difficult for everyone to feed their families,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer, J&K Waqf Board Zaheer Ahmed Kaifi, said the issue of the retired employees has been addressed and it may take some more days.
“ The issue has been resolved, the retired employees may have to wait for some more days,” he said.
The petitioners in the court had pleaded that the Supreme court has laid down that the right to pension is a right to property guaranteed under Constitution and infringement of the same amounts to violation of human rights.
“The petitioners in order to vindicate their grievances submitted detailed representation, however, the said representation has also not been disposed of in accordance with law as a result thereof the petitioners’ rights guaranteed under Article 14,21 & 300-A of the Constitution have also been infringed,” the petition read.
The court is all set to hear the case on Monday. (AGENCIES)
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