All pensioners of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are well aware that the J&K Accounts Pensioners Welfare Association filed two litigations in the Honorable High Court of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh in May 2024. These cases are titled Nissar Ahmad Khan vs. UT of J&K and Chandji vs. UT of J&K, concerning the cessation of the commuted portion of pensions after a period of 10.8 years, deviating from the stipulated period of 15 years as per the current rules in effect in the UT.
We are pleased to inform all pensioners, particularly our esteemed members, that our collective efforts, along with the diligent work of our learned advocate, Mir Manzoor Ahmad, have yielded positive results. Special recognition goes to Mr. Mohammad Salim Zahid and Chandji Bhat for their tireless efforts, which made this achievement possible. The Honorable High Court issued an interim order on October 30, 2024, granting a stay on the recovery of the commuted portion of pensions from the petitioners after they have put in 11.5 additional years post-retirement.
The operative part of the High Court’s decision is as follows:
“Considering this aspect of the matter, until the reply/objections are filed from the respondents, the petitioners’ pensions shall not be subject to the operation of the impugned amended Rule-37 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Pension (Commutation) Rules.”
The Accounts Pensioners Welfare Association humbly appeals to the concerned authorities within the UT Government and to the Accountant General to issue the necessary instructions to the Treasury Officers and Authorities of Jammu and Kashmir Bank to implement the orders of the Honorable High Court promptly and in strict accordance with the Court’s directive.
Our leaders will soon meet with the relevant authorities of the Jammu and Kashmir Government and the Accountant General regarding this issue. We will assess the next steps to take concerning pensioners who have not benefited from the aforementioned Court order, as well as how to recover excess amounts deducted beyond the stipulated 10-year period. This clause is already included in the writ petitions filed in Court.
We will convene meetings with the Icon members, and details regarding the schedule will be communicated in due course.
In addition, our immediate demands are:
- Release of a 3% Dearness Allowance effective July 1, 2024.
- Enhancement of the fixed Medical Allowance from ₹300 to ₹1,000 per month, retroactively effective from April 1, 2020, as granted to the pensioners of the UT of Ladakh and the pensioners of the Government of India.
We urge all pensioners to remain united and actively support the initiatives put forth by the Forum.
For more information, please contact:
(M.S. Zahid)
Administrator, J&K Accounts Pensioners Welfare Forum (J&K Accounts ICON Group)
Phone: 7006964603
