CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has dismissed a petition filed by a former woman employee of the State Bank of India seeking orders to pay her pension benefits, stating that she was forced to retire due to stress and mental agony, as she had not completed 20 years of service to become eligible for pension under exit option scheme.
S Vasantha Subash Chandran of Saligramam in Chennai, joined the clerical services in 1987 on compassionate grounds. She said she opted to retire under the exit option scheme in 2006 since factors like no promotion and denial of transfer to Chennai caused her health issues, including depression.
SBI denied pension benefits citing the need to complete 20 years as per the SBI Employees Pension Fund rules. The petitioner argued that Rule 22 (ii) of the said rules provided for grant of pensionary benefit if an employee, attaining 55 years, is incapacitated bodily or suffered from mental infirmity from doing further service.
Advocate Chevanan Mohan, representing the bank, contended that the 20-year rule applied to the petitioner. Justice T Vinod Kumar dismissed the petition finding that it did not have merits and suffered from laches as the petitioner remained silent for 14 years before approaching the authorities. The judge also found her ineligible to claim pension under Rule 22 (ii).