Pay pension in two months: HC to government

UDHAGAMANDALAM: Recalling his struggle to get freedom fighter’s pension, 88-year-old L Ari Gowder said, “I made my second application in December 2, 1995 to get my pension. Since I kept fighting, my matter was placed before the District Screening Committee led by the collector on July 22, 2005. The screening committee recommended pension for me on July 27, the same year. No response came from the state government for five years. Hence, legal notice was sent on Dec 10, 2009. The government passed the rejection order on Jan 29, 2010 on the ground of absence of  documents in support of my claims.”Hence, A Bobblie, counsel for Ari Gowder filed writ petition in the High Court on March 17, 2011 and the petition was allowed on December 22, 2011. High Court Justice S Rajeswaran  issued direction to the state government on March 12, 2012, to grant pension to Ari Gowder. The Judge observed: ”Considering the age of the petitioner and the claim sought for is freedom fighter pension, the ends of  justice would be met with by directing the respondents to pay the pension from the day of  filing the writ petition before this court, i.e. 17th September 2010. The amount of  pension entitled to be given to the petitioner may be calculated from that date and arrears should be paid within a period of two months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. Subsequent pension may also be paid periodically to him as being done in the case of others, without fail.”