Pension row: HC seeks Delhi govt, MCDs' reply

The Delhi High Court today sought response of Delhi Chief Secretary and three MCD commissioners on a plea seeking contempt proceedings against them for not giving to the Delhi government a list of beneficiaries of pension schemes for aged and disabled people.
While disposing of the PIL, a division bench of the high court had directed all the three MCDs to furnish list of the aged beneficiaries of pension under the MCD schemes to Delhi government within four weeks.
It had also directed the government to process the payment cases after receiving the lists and other particulars from the MCDs.

Taking note of the averments made in the contempt plea, Justice J R Midha asked the Delhi government to take immediate steps before June 6.
It asked the authorities concerned to file an affidavit within two weeks as to what steps they have taken to disburse the pensions.
The court's direction came on plea which alleged that the government and civic bodies were "willfully and deliberately disobeying and not complying with the court's order" passed on January 20.

Advocate Ashok Aggarwal, appearing for NGO Social Jurist, submitted the authorities have failed to do so resulting in continuous non-payment of stipend/pension amount of Rs 1000 per month to over two lakh destitute for the last three years.

Initially, the NGO had filed PIL highlighting the fact that East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) had abruptly stopped paying the pensions to nearly 44800 disabled/widow/old aged persons who were allowed stipend/pension under the MCD pension schemes.
The court was informed that EDMC's action was arbitrary, illegal, unjustified and also in utter violation of fundamental right to life of affected persons.
During the pendency of the PIL, the NDMC, SDMC and Delhi government were impleaded as respondents.
As per the SDMC, 81,800 people were the beneficiaries and were not paid stipend/pension due to financial crunch.
It was submitted that nearly two lakh old aged pensioners were denied monthly pensions/stipends by three MCD that badly affected the lives of these two lakh old aged persons.

On which, the court had asked Delhi government to process the payment after receiving the lists and other particulars from the MCDs.