The main legal point established in the judgment is the interpretation and compliance of the interim directions given by the Supreme Court, particularly in relation to the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956, and the Life Insurance Corporation of India (Employees) Pension Rules 1995.

SANJIV KHANNA, J.

1. This order will decide the controversy relating to compliance of the interim directions given by the Supreme Court in paragraph 27 of their judgment and order dated 31st March, 2016 passed in Civil Appeal Nos. 8959-8962/2013 titled LIC of India & Others Vs. Krishna Murari Lal Asthana & Another and other connected appeals. By the subsequent order dated 31st August, 2016, the Supreme Court had observed that if there be any dispute with regard to the quantum i.e. the quantum payable in terms of paragraph 27 of their order dated 31st March, 2016, it would be addressed by the High Court.

2. For deciding the present controversy, i.e. whether or not there has been compliance of the interim directions of payment given in paragraph 27 of the order dated 31st March, 2016 passed by the Supreme Court, we are only required to notice limited facts.

3. The petitioner before us in W.P. (C) Nos. 9440 and 9442 of 2016 is the Life Insurance Corporation of India, and in the remaining petitions are the retired employees or associations of retired employees of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (Corporation for short), who is the main contesting respondent along with the Union of India.

4. In exercise of power conferred by Section 48 of the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956, the Central Government has framed the Life Insurance Corporation of India (Employees) Pension Rules 1995 (1995 Rules for short). Rule 37 of the 1995 Rules relates to Dearness Relief, payable to the retired employees. Appendix 4 to the 1995 Rules, reads as under:

“Dearness relief on basic pension shall be as under:

(1) In the case of employees who retired on or after the 1st day of January, 1986, but before the 1st day of November, 1993, dearness relief shall be payable for every rise or be recoverable for every fall, as that case may be of every 4 points over 600 points in the quarterly average of the All India Average Consumer Price Index, for Industrial Workers in the series 1960 = 100. Such increase or decrease in dearness relief for every said four points shall be calculated in the manner given below:-

Scale of basic pension per month	The rate of dearness relief as a percentage of basic pension
(i) upto Rs.1250/-	0.67 per cent
(ii) Rs.1251/- to Rs.2,000/-	0.67 per cent of Rs.1250 plus 0.55 per cent of basic pension in excess of Rs.1250/-
(iii) Rs.2001/- to Rs.2130/-	0.67 per cent of Rs.1250/- plus 0.55 per cent of the difference between Rs.2000/- and Rs.1250/- plus 0.33 per cent of basic pension in excess of Rs.2000/-
(iv) above Rs.2130/-	0.67 per cent of Rs.1250/- plus 0.55 per cent of the difference between Rs.2000/- and Rs.1250/- plus 0.33 per cent of the difference between Rs.2130/- and Rs.2000/- plus 0.17 per cent of basic pension in excess of Rs.2130/-

(2) In the case of employees who retire on or after the 1st day of November, 1993, dearness relief shall be payable for every rise or be recoverable for every fall, as the case may be, of every 4 points over 1148 points in the quarterly average of the All India Average Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers in the series 1960 = 100. Such increase or decrease in dearness relief for every said four points shall be calculated in the manner given below:-

Scale of basic pension per month	The rate of dearness relief as a percentage of basic pension
(i) upto Rs.2400/-	0.35 per cent
(ii) Rs.2401 to Rs.3850/-	0.35 per cent of Rs.2,400/- plus 0.29 per cent of basic pension in excess of Rs.2,400/-
(iii) Rs.3,851 to Rs.4,100/-	0.35 per cent of Rs.2,400/- plus 0.29 per cent of the difference between Rs.3,850 and Rs.2,400/- plus 0.17 per Page 88 cent of basic pension in excess of Rs.3,850/-
(iv) above Rs.4,100/-	0.35 per cent of Rs.2,400/- plus 0.29 per cent