HC directs Centre to provide pension

Criticising the Home Secretary (Freedom Fighter's division) for rigid and too technical in following rules, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court today directed the Centre to provide pension for the widow of a freedom fighter.
A division Bench comprising Justice R Sudhakar and Justice S Vaidhyanathan dismissed the appeal filed by the Centre against the order of the single judge to provide Union Government's Freedom fighters (Swatantra Sainik Samman) Pension for one M Pancharathinam.
The bench said the 72-year widow of the freedom fighter had been battling for the pension since 1985. Her husband had provided Personal Knowledge Certificate (PKC) given by two reputed persons including former Tamil Nadu Minister Kakkan. He had received the state government pension.

The Government Order had clearly stated that if a person was in jail for six months and if PKC had produced, then he should be given pension. The officials should not make technical claims like applicant's date of being in jail (during the freedom struggle) did not tally with the certified by the certifiers. "This is too technical ground to reject"
The Judges also rejected the contention that the petitioner failed to furnish any acceptable document based primary or secondary evidence (including valid non availability of records certificate -jail record- certificate. The judges felt that the official had deliberately rejected the claim of the petitioner and made her come to court giving technical reasons.

The Judges directed Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary to forward petitioner's application within four weeks and file a compliance report by January 28 next year.