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2023 Supreme(Jhk) 1551

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI
HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH SHANKAR
Vidya Nand Pandey and ors. - Petitioners
Versus
Employees Provident Fund Organization and ors. – Respondents
W.P. (S) No.139 of 2021
Decided On : 04-09-2023

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Petitioner:Mr. Sameer Sahay, Advocate
For the Respondent:Mr. Rupesh Singh, Advocate, Mr. Manoj Kumar, Advocate

Headnote:(A) Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 - Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 - The present writ petition sought directions for payment of pension based on higher wages drawn by the petitioners under the provision of the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995. The court referenced the earlier judgments including R.C. Gupta & Ors. Vs. Regional Provident Fund Commissioner and clarified the necessity for individual applications from the petitioners to process the claims for enhanced pension based on actual salary. The Supreme Court held that amendments to the pension scheme apply to both exempted and regular establishments and affirmed that members could exercise options concerning pension benefits. (Paras 1, 3, and 4)

(B) The principles established by the Supreme Court clarified that the requirements for pension computations must align with actual wages and that petitioners are entitled to pursue claims in light of the latest judgment. (Paras 3 to 4)

Table of Content
1. the need for enhanced pension based on actual wages. (Para 1 , 2)
2. supreme court's judgment regarding epf scheme amendments. (Para 3)
3. guidelines for petitioners to enhance their pension applications. (Para 4)
4. petitioners are permitted to seek individual online applications. (Para 5 , 6)

ORDER :

HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH SHANKAR

1. The present writ petition has been filed for issuance of direction upon the respondent no. 3 to forward the applications submitted by the petitioners to the respondent nos. 1 and 2 exercising option for payment of pension on the basis of higher wages drawn by them in the light of paragraph no. 26(6) of the Employees Provident Fund Scheme and paragraph no. 11(3) of the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 with an undertaking to remit the amount including up to date interest as may be calculated by the office of the respondent no. 1 for payment of enhanced pension on the basis of contribution made on actual wages/salary drawn by the petitioners. Further prayer has been made for issuance of direction upon the respondent nos. 1 and 2 to process the aforesaid applications submitted by the petitioners for payment of enhanced pension on the basis of contributions as per actual salary/wages drawn by them to extend the benefit under the provisions of paragraph no. 11(3) of the employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 and to compute and determine the pensionable salary of the petitioners on the basis of their actual wages drawn and accordingly, to make payment of such enhanced pension to the petitioners from their respective dates of entitlement (i.e. the date of retirement) within a period of one month or such period as may be directed by this Court. The petitioners have also prayed for issuance of direction upon the respondent nos. 1 and 2 to indicate the differential amount on the contribution actually made by them and the contributions due to be remitted on their behalf in view of the higher wages drawn by them so as to enable them to remit the differential amount for entitlement of enhanced pension on contributions as per actual salary/wages drawn by them. The petitioners have further prayed for issuance of direction upon the respondent nos. 1 and 2 to act in the light of the order dated 4th October, 2016 passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Civil Appeal Nos.10013-14/2016 [ R.C. Gupta & Ors. Vs. Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, Employees Provident Fund Organization & Ors.], reported in (2018)14 SCC 809; judgment of Hon’ble Delhi High Court rendered in W.P.(C) No. 5678/2018 [ Bhartiya Khadya Nigam Karamchari Sangh & Anr. Vs. Union of India & Ors.]; and judgment of Hon’ble Kerala High Court in W.P.(C) No. 13120/2015 [ P. Sasikumar Vs. Union of India & Ors.].

2. The petitioners have stated in the writ petition that they were appointed on different posts after observing due process of law under the respondent no. 3 (non-exempted establishment under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952). Their details have been mentioned in paragraph no. 6 of the writ petition, which are as under:

Pet. Nos.

Petitioners’ Name & D.O.B

Date of Appointment & Post

Date of Retirement & Post

Last Wage in Rs.

Pension as on date in Rs.

1.

Vidya Nand Pandey

2.3.1956

3.1.1976 (Class IV staff)

31.3.2016 (Clerk)

55200

2196

2.

Sudist Narayan Kant

3.1.1944

12.5.1965 (Peon)

1.2.2002 (Assistant)

11440

725

3.

Sheo Nandan Prasad

25.11.1952

23.3.1977 (Daily rated regularized as Clerk on 30.9.1982)

30.11.2012 (Clerk)

34864

1741

4.

Ghanshyam Singh

9.11.1954

1.3.1976 (Clerk)

30.11.2014 (Assistant)

54834

2242

5.

Rajni Kant Choubey

1.1.1953

23.4.1977 (Daily rated regularized on 30.9.1982 as Clerk)

31.12.2012 (Clerk)

37152

1849

6.

Nanhku Modi

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