NHRC asks DoT to probe delay in a retired employee's payment

New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) Taking a "serious view" over delay in payment of retirement dues to a BSNL employee, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Tuesday directed the department of telecommunication (DoT) to thoroughly enquire the case and fix responsibility of the officials concerned.

"The Commission, taking a serious view of the delay in disbursement of retirement benefits, including pension and gratuity to a retired BSNL employee, has asked the DoT secretary to get this matter thoroughly enquired and fix the responsibility of delinquent officers," a NHRC release said.

The wife of the retired official, who belongs to a Scheduled Tribe, in her complaint to the NHRC informed that her husband worked with BSNL for nearly 40 years and had retired March 31, 2014 but his terminal benefits were withheld by the chief general manager, BSNL Jaipur.

In her complaint, the woman said that she and her husband were facing financial constraints because of their bad health, so they approached NHRC for their intervention in the matter.

In response to the NHRC notice, the secretary DoT informed the commission that some terminal benefits including gratuity and commutation value of pension were paid to the retired employee Jan 21, 2015.

However, the pension payment order was to be dispatched shortly.

"On perusal of the material on record, NHRC member justice D. Murugesan observed that terminal benefits were paid only after the the commission sought the report from the concerned authorities on the complaint of the employee's wife," the statement said.

"The commission takes a serious view of the fact that the DoT neither gave any explanation behind the delay in disbursement of the terminal benefits nor furnished any action taken report against the delinquent officers," it added.