HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE BATTU DEVANAND
WRIT PETITION No.28900 of 2022
ORDER:
The petitioners were being paid widow pension and old age pension from the year 2017 and 2010 respectively. Subsequently, the payment of pension to these petitioners was stopped. Aggrieved by the stoppage of pension, without any notice and without any opportunity of hearing being given, the petitioners have approached this Court by way of the present writ petition.
In similar circumstances, a learned Single Judge of this Court had considered the issue of stoppage of such pension payments and passed orders in W.P.No.18874 of 2020 & Batch dated 27.09.2021.
Following the above said judgment, this writ petition is disposed of with the following directions:
i) The respondents are directed to make payment of pension to the petitioners from the month when it was stopped to till date forthwith.
ii) The Mandal Parishad Development Officer of the concerned Mandal is directed to receive and verify the documents of the petitioners in his village within seven (7) days from the date of this order.
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iii) If the Mandal Parishad Development Officer is otherwise busy, he shall depute Panchayat Secretary and Village Revenue Officer of the concerned village for this purpose.
iv) The Mandal Parishad Development Officer shall intimate the date of verification of documents to the petitioners two days in advance.
v) The petitioners shall submit relevant/requisite documents to establish their eligibility for entitlement of pension for which they are seeking before the Mandal Parishad Development Officer or the officers deputed.
vi) Upon production and verification of the documents submitted by the petitioners, the Mandal Parishad Development Officer shall examine the eligibility of the petitioners and include their names in the eligibility list within seven (07) days thereafter.
vii) If, the case of any petitioner is not considered for old age Pension, the Mandal Parishad Development Officer, shall intimate the reasons in writing to the petitioner immediately under proper acknowledgment.
viii) In the event of any dispute as to the age of the petitioners, the same shall be referred to a Board of Government Doctors 3 to be constituted by the District Collector, Vizianagaram for ascertaining the age of the petitioners.
ix) The respondents are directed to continue the payment of pension to those petitioners, every month, who have satisfied the eligibility criteria.
x) The entire process shall be completed within three (3) weeks from the date of this order.
There shall be no order as to costs.
As a sequel, pending miscellaneous petitions, if any, shall stand, closed.
______________________________ JUSTICE BATTU DEVANAND 08.09.2022 MP 4 54 HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE BATTU DEVANAND WRIT PETITION No.28900 of 2022 Date: 08.09.2022 MP 5