DNA:
Bhubaneswar: Wednesday, 15 April 2015.
Prabir Kumar
Mohapatra, retired food inspector, has been denied his pension for the last 17
years even after repeated complaints. He has also been denied the salary for
824 days while he was in service.
With more
than 400 complaints registered at all levels of administrative hierarchy,
Prabir who retired as a food inspector in 1997 feels harassed and drained out.
At 75, making the rounds of the Secretariat, the Health Department and
travelling up and down from Baripada to Bhubaneswar has become a difficult
task.
Prabir says,
"For 10 years after retirement I received a provisional pension of Rs 735
per month but since July 2007, the provisional pension has also been stopped. I
appealed for help with the Director of Health, Chief Secretary, the Chief
District Medical Officer, Pension Secretary and others. Yet there was no change
in the scene and hence I filed an RTI to know all details."
He adds,
"With the help of RTI he came to know that the provisional pension drawn
in his name was also faulty. While the department withdrew a sum of Rs 1,200 as
provisional pension on my head I only received Rs 735. On questioning the same,
I was asked to accept whatever is being given or else the sum would be
deposited in the treasury account.”
A copy of the
RTI documents and his pension record book has been retained by the Kalinga Helpline
Team as evidence.
In addition,
Prabir has also not received his salary for 824 days while he was in service
over a controversy arising over his transfer. In order to claim his pending
salary and the pension, Prabir approached the Central Administrative Tribunal
(CAT).
The CAT after
inquiring into the case ordered a detailed investigation for denial of salary
and simultaneously ordered the regularization of pension.
Prabir
informs that an audit team has investigated his case twice and has ordered
despatch of pension with arrears and payment of salary for 824 days. After
several attempts at approaching the CDMO, District Collector, MLA of his
constituency, Chief Secretary and Chief Minister, he also wrote a personal
letter of appeal to the Prime Minister. But all his efforts have been in vain
with the accounts department being aloof to Pabir's distress.
In 2008, the
CDMO Baripada ordered a rectification in pension documents and streamlining of
Prabir's pension arrears and salary. But his orders went unheard. Written letters
of order (a copy of orders has been retained by the Kalinga Helpline Team) has
also been issued by Directorate of Health, Pension Secretary for regularization
of pension. Chief Secretary of state has also ordered a 15 member team
consisting of district collector, establishment officer CDMO and others to
inquire into Prabir's case.
Dr. Chandan
Murmu, on being approached by iamin and Kalinga Helpline Team said, "We
have been ever ready to help Prabir. I have requested the Account's Officer
several times yet there has been no response. Under the aegis of the Chief
Secretary, an inquiry was conducted which found out that Prabir has indeed been
denied justice and deprived of his due share of pension and salary."
The Baripada
Account's Officer remained unapproachable even after repeated attempts to reach
him.
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