RAIPUR: The Supreme Court stayed the order of Chhattisgarh High Court that had quashed the Congress-ruled government’s decision to abolish the pension scheme for the detainees under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency in 1975. The erstwhile Raman Singh government launched a monthly pension programme in 2008 for the MISA detainees who were jailed during the 1975-77 Emergency period.
After the formation of the Congress government, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel instructed all commissioners and the district collectors to stop the pensions from February 1, 2019 till the physical verification of all beneficiaries were carried out. Then the CM had said that pensioners cannot be called freedom fighters. Around 70 MISA pensioners had later filed a petition in the High Court challenging the government’s decision to scrap the pension rules.
The state, challenging the high court order, during the hearing stated that its decision was apparently dismissed without appreciating the authority of the state to withdraw any plan it had executed earlier.
“As per Article 282, the power remains with the government to withdraw any decision, which is taken by the government. And the stand of the Chhattisgarh government is clear that they are not the freedom fighters for the nation. Based on the prevailing law in the country, whatever actions are taken for anybody, they are not entitled for any pension or remuneration or similar things,” Satish Chandra Verma, advocate general of Chhattisgarh told this newspaper.
“It’s the usual legal process. The top court has only given a stay and not a final decision. Only those who filed caveat were present and further notices have been served,” said Sachchidanand Upasne, senior BJP leader. The Chhattisgarh government had filed a special leave petition in the Apex Court that stayed the high court order.
The Congress party welcomed the stay order of the Supreme Court. “The Raman Singh government squandered over Rs 100 crore in the name of pension to those who didn’t deserve it”, said Sushil Anand Shukla, Chairman of the Congress media cell.