The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Odisha School and Mass Department authorities to release family pension to the family of a teacher after a span of 32 years.
Radhamohan Mallik, the husband of the victim Parbati Mallik, who died on February 20, 1986 was working as a teacher and served in the Bileisahi UP School of Harigada gram panchayat of Ganjam district of the State. He died an unnatural death.
After that the benefits accruing to Radhamohan’s wife Parbati Mallik has never been handed over to her. Along with two differently able daughters she has been leading a miserable life.
Benefits of social welfare schemes were denied to him though her husband was a teacher and supposed to get benefits as per service rules.
Now the NHRC directed the School and Mass Education Secretary to send a report on the status of release of family pension to Parbati, within six weeks.
Acting on a petition filed by advocate and human rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC passed this order recently.
In his complaint on February 18 2014, Tripathy has stated that Parbati’s request for the family pension has also not been taken up by the authorities of the Education Department. She belongs to a Scheduled Tribe community and is a poor woman at the verge of starvation death.
He has requested the intervention of the commission to ensure the victim to get her legitimate dues as per law.