Madras HC ends 30-yr wait of 88-yr-old man for service benefits
Chennai, Nov 24: Coming to the rescue of an 88-year-old man whose retirement benefits were put on hold by the Tamil Nadu government due to an inconclusive disciplinary proceeding that stretched beyond 30 years, the Madras High Court has directed the authorities to pay him all retirement and pension benefits.
Allowing the petition of R K Sundararajan, Justice R Suresh Kumar said the authorities have given absolutely no reason for not concluding the disciplinary proceedings initiated against the petitioner for the past 30 years.
The petitioner had sought quashing of a charge memo issued to him on January 26, 1988, by the then chief educational officer, Ramanathapuram, about 10 months ahead of his retirement.
The petitioner, who was a noon meal supervisor, sought a direction to authorities to allow him to retire from service on the date of his superannuation, November 30, 1988, and to disburse all service and consequential retirement and pension benefits to him.
On a criminal case that was pending against the petitioner, the judge said the authorities were not precluded from completing their disciplinary proceedings against him merely because of the pendency of the matter.
The magistrate court had in 2007 also said that no documents and evidence were available and no progress was shown in completing the trial.
"This kind of endless fluid situation cannot prevail against government servants. This is neither advisable nor acceptable," the court held.
The judge quashed the charge memo and directed the authorities to permit the petitioner to retire from service on his date of superannuation in 1988 and pay him all the retirement and pension benefits within six weeks from the date of receipt of the order.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
