Mumbai: For a 73-year-old woman, it was a prolonged wait of nearly 14 years to secure pension and that too after SC directives in Feb this year. Now, the department of women and child welfare has estimated her pension at Rs 41,985 per month, reports Prafulla Marpakwar.
Malti Chetule was appointed as an anganwadi sevika on Feb 2, 1988, on an honorary basis. Later on Oct 25, 2002, she was promoted as chief sevika, from which she retired on Oct 31, 2012. However, she was denied pension as there was a shortfall of 7 days required to make her eligible.
The stand taken by the state in this case had stunned all, particularly as it had taken a pro-women position in the run-up to the LS and assembly elections.
Aggrieved by the state’s decision to deny her pension over a 7-day shortfall, an anganwadi worker Malti Chetule approached the Nagpur Industrial Court, which upheld her plea for pension on Dec 6, 2018. Chetule was expecting that in view of the industrial court order, she would receive her pension. Instead of implementing the order, the state govt challenged it before the Bombay High Court, which too rejected the appeal.
For Chetule, it was yet another shock and disappointment when the women and child welfare department filed a review petition before the high court, which rejected the application. Cheltule was expecting that since the high court had dismissed the appeal as well as the review petition, the department would sanction her pension as early as possible, which will help her meet expenses in her old age.
The women and child welfare department, though, decided to file a special leave petition before the Supreme Court, and urged the apex to quash the order passed by the industrial court on the ground that it will set a precedent and in future, the govt will have to sanction it in all such cases.
The Supreme Court on Feb 17, 2025, dismissed the SLP and paved the way for Chetule’s pension.
All bureaucrats associated with the department of women and child welfare and the commissionerate, women and child welfare, maintained a discreet silence on the current status of the case. They chose to blame the finance department for the inordinate delay in approving pension for Chetule. In view of her age, it was expected that the department would take a lenient view and approve the pension.
“In the entire process, the finance department was the main hurdle, they did not approve the pension owing to rules. If the relaxation is granted to Chetule, then we will have to extend similar concessions in future, it will set a precedent,” an official said.
