Chhattisgarh High Court Bilaspur on Thursday ordered the state government for immediate release of suspended pensions for those jailed under Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and Defence of India Rules (DIR) during Emergency period, 1975-77.
Earlier right after formation Baghel government in state in the month of January last year had suspended the pension from February 2019 citing reason that it would be further continued only after physical verification.
The bench of Justice P. Sam Koshi provided this relief to 28 of the petitioners of Bilaspur region.
Advocate General, Chhattisgarh, Satish Verma confirming about the order said citing that necessary amendment in the act enforced in 2008 regarding the issue was not been done termed the act of government unjustified.
Meanwhile, welcoming the court’s decision, National Vice-President of Loktantra Senani Sangh and senior BJP leader Sachchidanand Upasne said “though the pension had been suspended from month of February citing the reason of physical verification of the detainees, the intention of government was to wind it up as the process of verification was not even initiated”.
Roughly 300 people are left nowadays in the state and most of them are widows of detainees, Upasne said adding that there was a crisis of livelihood before them and also for getting treatment of ailment they are suffering in old age.