HC Relief For 91-Yr-Old Widow, To Get Family Pension 46 Years After Husband’s Death

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has directed Kendrapada collector to ensure within two months payment of family pension to 91-year-old Hara Sahoo of Palei Derakundi, whose husband, a schoolteacher, died 46 years ago.

The single judge bench of Biraja Prasanna Satapathy issued the direction on Wednesday while disposing of the widow’s petition challenging the rejection of her representation for consideration of her family pension, gratuity, and other service benefits on August 21, 2023.

The widow’s husband Benudhar Sahoo was an assistant teacher at Ratnakar middle english school when he died on August 26, 1977. Though she had been filing representations for sanction of family pension since 1991, the state authorities rejected her plea on the ground that the family pension scheme was introduced in 1980-81.

However, Justice Satapathy granted the relief considering the fact that though Benudhar died in 1977, in normal course he would have retired in 1983.