Mumbai: Panel Directs Provident Fund Office To Pay Interest On Arrears Of Pension Amount To Widow

The state consumer commission upholding an order of the district consumer commission has directed the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner to pay interest on arrears of pension amount to a widow. The commission stated that provident fund offices failed to prove that they had given the enhanced pension and that interest on it.

The order dated June 7 was passed by Justice S P Tavade, president and A Z Khwaja, judicial member of the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC). The order was passed on an appeal made by The Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, Regional Office, Mumbai, Assistant Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, Regional Office, Solapur, and Assistant Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, Regional Office, Pune. The Provident Fund offices had challenged the district commissioner's order giving relief to Anusaya Tone, the Solapur resident.

Wife did not get enhanced pension

Tone's husband was working as 'Bulk and Cargo Handling Majur' (Mathadi Kamgar) at P &V Docks. He was a member of the Employees' Provident Fund and Family Pension. He died in May 1991. Accordingly, his widow was receiving a pension but did not get an enhanced pension between 1994 and 2000, amounting to Rs49,763. The amount should have been paid in 2000.

Provident Fund office contended that the woman’s husband was a government employee and not a "consumer", and the enhanced amount was deposited in 2001, so, no question of paying interest between 2000-2015.

Husband was not a government employee

The commission observed that the complainant’s husband was not a government employee and in the private sector, she was entitled to interest because there was no proof of money being paid in 2000 but in 2015 as admitted by her.

The state commission said that the district commission had “rightly held that the complainant is entitled to the interest on arrears of enhanced pension from 09/10/2000 to 20/04/2015 as she was kept out of that amount over the said period.”