RAMESHWARI DEVI Vs. BIHAR STATE ELECTRICITY BOARD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) By this writ petition, the petitioner claimed payment of arrears of family pension and other dues from the Bihar State Electricity Board where her late husband, Mohit Ram was an employee. It appears that earlier a writ petition had been filed by the petitioner, which was disposed of by a direction to pay revised family pension as per revision of the pay-scale. When this was not complied with M.J.C. No. 4058 of 2011 was filed. There the Board took a stand that all payments had been duly made and, as such, the M.J.C. was disposed of on 9.11.2011. Petitioner subsequently filed an application under Right to Information Act and by information dated 21.6.2012, she was intimated that in fact the pay-scales had not been revised. Consequently, the family pension was being paid on unrevised pay-scale. The information was supplied is Annexure-15 to this writ petition. On basis of this information, the present writ petition has been filed. In the counter affidavit filed, it has been stated that as per account of the petitioner herself, it is clear that on 20.10.2011 an amount of Rs. 1,00,200/- was credited to her account for settlement of her dues. Subsequently, on 8.11.2012 further payments were also made. It is, thus, stated on behalf of the Board that now all arrears have been cleared and she is being regularly paid her family pension on revised pay-scale. There is no reply to the counter affidavit and, as such, this position remains unchallenged. However, the fact remains that there has been an inordinate delay on part of the Board in settling the dues of family pension. In the aforesaid circumstances, there remains no un-redressed grievance. Accordingly, the writ petition is disposed of with a cost of Rs. 20,000/- to be paid by the Board within one month to the petitioner for dragging her repeatedly to this Court for redressal of her claims with regard to family pension. The responsibility of payment of cost, to be paid to the petitioner through her bank account, would rest with respondent no. 8, the Electrical Executive Engineer, Bihar State Electricity Board, Electric Supply Division, Hajipur, District-Vaishali.