DUTA Letter to MHRD, 09.04.2019

                                                                                                                                               
April 9, 2019.

Shri Prakash Javadekar,
Hon’ble Minister for HRD,
Shastri Bhavan,
New Delhi

Sub: Withdrawal of SLP

Dear Sir,

DUTA expresses its appreciation for the positive intervention made by MHRD vide its letter dated 29.03.2019 to approve the pension of all teachers who shifted to GPF from CPF between 1989 and 1998. We are hopeful that this will mitigate the suffering of thousands of teachers who have been denied pension since August 2014 despite surrendering their CPF account at least two decades ago while shifting to GPF.

However, DUTA is dismayed to note that there are still a few hundred teaching and non-teaching employees who have been denied pension since they did not shift to GPF in the period between 1989 to 1998. These employees have been through a long process of litigation lasting more than eleven years. This had culminated first in a Single Bench judgment on 30.04.2014,  followed by a Division Bench judgment of the Hon’ble Delhi High Court on 24.08.2016, which categorically granted pension to all.

However, the MHRD, vide letter dated 21.4.2017, directed the University of Delhi to file an SLP against two categories of litigants, the hearings in the admission of which are yet to be begin. This has led to an unfortunate delay in expediting the relief due to them. The delay has  caused irreparable financial hardship and prolonged mental torture to affected employees, who, having served the University with dedication for several decades, have been denied pension in the twilight of their lives. Many of them have died waiting for the pension that they had won after a long legal battle.

We, therefore, request you to direct the University to withdraw the SLP against its own  employees and to allow them to avail their pension as per the judgment dated 24.8.2016 of the Division Bench of the Hon’ble Delhi High Court. This will not only mitigate the suffering of the affected employees, but will go a long way in restoring some normalcy in their lives and in those of their families. It will also help to restore the faith of the University community in a system that is expected to care for its employees, especially our senior citizens who are the most vulnerable.

Hoping for a favourable response from you.

With regards,