The Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur has made a significant ruling regarding the pension rights of government employees, specifically denying pension eligibility to daily wage workers. In a pivotal decision, the court ruled that only employees who are part of the eligible service can claim pension benefits.
Justice Vivek Agrawal presided over the bench that delivered the verdict, firmly stating that daily wage earners do not qualify for pension rights. The ruling came in response to a petition filed by a former employee, Motilal Dhar, who served as a surveyor in the Water Resources Department from 1995 to 2011, totaling 17 years. Despite his long service, Dhar’s petition for pension inclusion was dismissed based on his employment status as a daily wage earner.
During the proceedings, the court highlighted that eligibility for pension is determined under Rule 3(p) of the Pension Rules of 1976, which begins only when an employee is part of pensionable service. Daily wage positions do not fall under this category, thereby disqualifying such employees from receiving pension benefits.
The state government argued that during the period mentioned by the petitioner, he was employed as a daily wage worker, and thus, by law, does not qualify for pension rights.
