(1.) With the consent of counsels for the parties, the writ petition is taken up for final hearing and disposal.
(2.) By way of the present writ petition, the petitioner has sought directions to the respondent, to extend the benefit of the pension policy dated 27th November, 1992 to the petitioner on the terms and conditions contained therein and further directions for payment of arrears of pension and family pension with interest thereon, to the petitioner.
(3.) The brief facts material for deciding the present writ petition are that the respondent vide Office Order dated 27th November, 1992, introduced a pension scheme for its employees retiring on or after 3rd August, 1981 on the same pattern as the scheme for the Central Government employees. As per the said scheme, option for payment was to be exercised within 30 days from the date of issue of the said Office Order. Public notice to this effect was published by the respondent in the newspapers. However, for various reasons, the respondent failed to implement the pension scheme. As a result, litigation ensued and finally, pursuant to a contempt petition that came to be filed in the Supreme Court against the failure on the part of the respondent to implement the said scheme, the respondent gave an assurance to the Supreme Court in the year 1995, that payment of pension would begin very soon. As a result, the respondent started paying pension to its employees with effect from 1st November, 1995.