Hyderabad: High court has expressed shock over the state govt’s failure to pay retirement benefits to retired employees, and said the former employees were asking their own money and not the govt’s money.Justice N Rajeshwar Rao on Monday made the observations while hearing a batch of contempt matters filed by retired employees after earlier court orders to release their benefits were not complied with.The petitions dealt with retirement dues pending of over 3,600 employees. Govt informed the court that payments were cleared for over 1,000 employees, while 2,600 employees were due to receive their benefits. Taking note of this, the court observed that 85 retired employees were already dead and questioned the inordinate delay in clearing the dues.Addressing principal secretary, Finance, Sandeep Kumar Sultania, who appeared before the court virtually, the judge said: “You are also an employee. You know employees’ problems. You are not giving your or the govt money. It’s their money.”Taking note of Sultania’s submissions that the amounts due to the 2,600 employees would be cleared soon, the judge directed him to clear the payments by April 9. “Clear the payments and tell the court and employees good news,” the judge said, while clarifying that failure to comply with the orders would warrant Sultania’s appearance before the court during the next hearings.“You will face the music if you do not clear (the dues),” the judge said, while rejecting Sultania’s request for a month’s time to clear the dues.Earlier in the day, counsel for the finance department sought additional time to complete the payments and also exemption from Sultania’s appearance, stating the officer was occupied with the ongoing assembly session. The judge declined the request and directed him to appear before the court.Sultania appeared virtually in the evening and apprised the court of the numbers, and initially said that dues would be cleared within this month (March) as per the cash position.When the judge asked how he could manage to clear by March-end, Sultania informed the judge that “it was difficult but he would stop other payments and clear these since the court is insisting on making payments”.Taking a strong objection to this, the judge said: “The court is not insisting on clearing payments, and that it is mandatory to clear payments of retired employees.”When Sultania said it would be more comfortable if a month’s time was given to ensure every sector got payment, however, he would follow the court order, the judge asked him, ” So far, 86 persons have died. How many more days you want to drag the matter. The matter is pending for months and several adjournments have also been given.”Stating that enough time had already been given, the judge further observed that courts were protectors of the govt also, not only litigants, and adjourned the hearing.
