Supreme Court directs Allahabad High Court to grant urgent hearing to senior citizen’s plea for pension
The Supreme Court has directed the Allahabad High Court to grant an urgent, out‑of‑turn hearing to a 77‑year‑old cancer‑stricken senior citizen’s pension plea, which has been pending for about nine years. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi emphasized that the case be treated on a “sympathetic basis” given the litigant’s age and health condition.
The petitioner, identified as Ram Shanker, had worked in Uttar Pradesh government service (from 1 June 1970 to 28 May 1985) and later joined Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL). He has been seeking pension and post‑retiral benefits, but his writ petition has remained unheard for nearly a decade, reportedly pushing him into financial hardship.
Shanker argued that the prolonged delay constitutes a violation of his fundamental rights under Articles 14 (equality) and 21 (right to life and dignity, including livelihood) of the Constitution. The Supreme Court implicitly endorsed the view that pension is not mere “charity” but a vested right linked to the right to livelihood, and therefore urged the Allahabad High Court to decide the matter expeditiously.
