High Court Kerala High Court

Kerala State Road Transport vs M.Ali Akbar on 3 April, 2009

Kerala High Court
Kerala State Road Transport vs M.Ali Akbar on 3 April, 2009
       

  

  

 
 
  IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM

RP.No. 145 of 2009(D)


1. KERALA STATE ROAD TRANSPORT
                      ...  Petitioner

                        Vs



1. M.ALI AKBAR, S/O. MUHAMMED
                       ...       Respondent

                For Petitioner  :SRI.K.PRABHAKARAN, SC, K.S.R.T.C.

                For Respondent  : No Appearance

The Hon'ble MR. Justice K.BALAKRISHNAN NAIR
The Hon'ble MRS. Justice M.C.HARI RANI

 Dated :03/04/2009

 O R D E R
            K.BALAKRISHNAN NAIR & M.C.HARI RANI, JJ.
           =========================================
                       R.P.No.145 of 2009 - D
                                 in
                     W.P.(C).No.30065 of 2008
                   ===============================
                Dated this the 3rd day of April, 2009.

                             O R D E R

Balakrishnan Nair, J.

The respondent (KSRTC) in W.P.(C).No.30065/2008 has

preferred this review petition seeking review of the judgment in

the writ petition dated 16.12.2008. Since the KSRTC failed to

pay the terminal benefits due to retired persons other then

monthly pension in time, this Court issued certain directions in

W.A.No.289/2001 concerning the same. It was ordered that

10% of the daily collection shall be set apart to meet the

pensionary claims of the retired employees. The pensionary

benefits were to be released according to the seniority of the

retirees reckoned with reference to the date of retirement. While

so, some of the pensioners came forward raising demand for out

of turn payment. The grounds raised for out of turn payment

were the marriages of their daughters or treatment for serious

illness like cancer for the members of the family. Those claims

R.P.No.145 of 2009 – D

2

were verified and certified by the KSRTC as genuine. Thereupon,

this Court in a batch of writ petitions allowed out of turn payment

of terminal benefits to the petitioners therein. From one of such

writ petitions, W.P.(C).No.30065/2008, this review petition

arises. This Court ordered that when out of turn payment is

made, the same may be paid not from the 10% set apart for

payment to the pensioners but from other funds. While saying

so, we meant that the same should be paid from the 90% of the

collection available to the KSRTC. Such an order was passed to

avoid prejudice to the general pensioners standing in the queue

to receive the terminal benefits due to them, as a result of out of

turn payment. It will be unfortunate that if a pensioner is not

having a daughter of marriageable age, he will not get terminal

benefits in time or the release of terminal benefits to him will be

further delayed when such claims are made from the 10% of the

daily collection set apart by the KSRTC. Now, the present review

petition is filed praying that the said direction may be modified

and the out of turn payment may also be ordered to be paid from

the 10% daily collection set apart for the benefits of the

R.P.No.145 of 2009 – D

3

pensioners. We feel that the ill-effects of direction issued by us,

highlighted in this review petition are imaginary. The pensioners

who claim out of turn payment on compassionate terms are also

entitled to receive payment after some time. So paying their

amounts in advance will not in any way increase the financial

burden of the KSRTC, as their claims are not new claims. We

have gone through the grounds raised in the review petition. We

feel that no ground is made out to review the judgment. The

portion of the judgment sought to be reviewed has been

consciously rendered by us having regard to the facts of the case.

In the result, the review petition fails and accordingly, it is

dismissed.

K.BALAKRISHNAN NAIR,
JUDGE.

M.C.HARI RANI,
JUDGE.

bkn/-