Justice Hegde urges state to address pension disparities of retired employees

NT Correspondent Bengaluru: Former Supreme Court Judge N. Santosh Hegde called on the Karnataka government to address the issue of pension disparities for retired government employees, as highlighted in the 7th Pay Commission report. Speaking at the Karnataka State Retired Employees' Forum convention at Freedom Park on Wednesday, Justice Hegde highlighted the need for the government to prioritize the demands of retired employees without discrimination. While speaking with News Trail, State Government Employees Association President C.S. Shadakshari said, “As a free treatment scheme for working government employees is set to start in October, we urge the Chief Minister to allocate the same scheme for retired employees as they face various health problems during old age.” Justice Hegde also criticized the government’s decision not to extend financial benefits to retired employees for the period between July 1, 2022, and July 31, 2024.

He stressed that these employees had served the government well and that fulfilling their demands is the government's responsibility. He pointed out the ongoing discrimination in pension allocations for retired state government employees and voiced his support for the ongoing protest demanding equal benefits. He urged the state government to resolve the matter before it escalates into a legal dispute. The 7th Pay Commission is currently in effect, and the 8th Pay Commission is expected to come into force in 2026.

The government has yet to announce the Dearness Allowance (DA) for employees and the Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners for July 2024. A 3-4 percent increase in DA and DR is expected, with an official order likely to be issued by the end of September or early October. The protest saw the participation of around 7,000 working and retired employees from across the district, along with Karnataka State Government Pensioners’ Association President L. Bhyrappa and others.