The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to look into the matter of the delay in disbursement of retirement benefits of a BSNL employee and fix the responsibility of delinquent officials.
The NHRC has asked the Secretary of DoT to enquire the matter and respond with the action taken report within six weeks time.
The Commission had received a complaint from the wife of the retired official belonging to the Scheduled Tribe stating that after serving the BSNL for nearly 40 years, her husband had superannuated on the 31st March, 2014 but his terminal benefits were withheld by the Chief General Manager, BSNL, Jaipur. They had requested for the Commission's intervention in the matter.
In response, the Commission was informed that on the 21st January, 2015 some terminal benefits, including Death-cum-Retirement Gratuity and Commutation Value of Pension were paid to the retired employee. However, the pension payment order was to be dispatched shortly.
NHRC Member, Justice D. Murugesan, observed that terminal benefits were paid only after the Commission sought the report from the concerned authorities on the complaint of the employee's wife.
The pension orders were yet to be dispatched. The Commission takes a serious view of the fact that the DoT neither gave any explanation behind the delay in disbursement of the terminal benefits nor furnished any action taken report against the delinquent officials.