Supreme Court Intervenes in Pension Battle for Cancer-Stricken Senior

The Supreme Court has urged Allahabad High Court to expedite the hearing of a pension case filed by Ram Shanker, a cancer-stricken senior citizen. Shanker's nine-year plea emphasizes pension as a constitutional right. The case underscores potential violations of fundamental rights due to prolonged judicial delays.

The Supreme Court has taken a significant step to assist a 77-year-old cancer patient, Ram Shanker, by directing the Allahabad High Court to provide an urgent hearing for his long-pending pension plea.

Shanker, a former UP government employee, has been in a legal entanglement for nine years, fighting for his pension and post-retiral benefits. The extended delay in adjudication, he argues, breaches his fundamental rights enshrined in Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, which ensure equality before law and right to livelihood.

The Supreme Court, noting the humanitarian aspect of the matter, instructed the High Court to assess his case on a priority basis. Shanker retired from government service in 1985, and despite later employment with Gas Authority of India Ltd, has faced challenges in securing his pension due to state government objections based on existing regulations.