One Rank One Pension (OROP): Madras High Court issues notice to Centre.

Madras High Court issues notice to Centre on One Rank One Pension

Madurai: The Madras High Court today issued notice to the Centre on a petition seeking a direction to issue a notification to implement the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme within a stipulated period.

Acting on the petition by ex-serviceman S Chinnadurai, Justice S Vaidyanathan ordered notice to the Cabinet, Finance and Defence secretaries and sought their reply within two weeks.

The petitioner contended that 90 per cent of the ex- servicemen are living below the poverty line.

Previous governments had already announced OROP and allocated Rs 500 crore for it. On May 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also assured that OROP would be implemented by the government but no timeframe had been given, he alleged.

The Indian ex-servicemen movement had also sent a memorandum and he had also submitted a representation.

Chinnadurai said it was mandatory on the part of the government to implement OROP before the fiscal 2014-15 after announcing the scheme.

The delay in implementing the scheme would demoralise serving soldiers and ex-serviceman and adversely affect the integrity of the country, he said.

He said that army men, who sacrificed the better part of their youth for the country, were not even getting proper jobs after they retired between 30 and 40 years of age.

PTI

Physically challenged candidate gets one-hour extra time for competitive exams

Physically challenged candidate gets one-hour extra time for competitive exams

Chennai, June 4 (PTI) The Madras High Court Thursday directed Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) to grant an extra time of one hour to physically challenged persons appearing for the Group I written examination to be held from from June 5 to 7.

Justice D Hariparanthaman passed the order on a petition by R Ramesh, a physically challenged person, seeking extra time for the examination to be held over three days.

Earlier, TNPSC counsel Niraimathi submitted that an extra time of 30 minutes was granted to the physically challenged persons.

The Judge, however, directed the Commission to provide one hour extra time in the light of a September 29, 1993 Government Order issued by Social Welfare and Nutritious Meal Programme Department which provided for extra time of 50 per cent not exceeding one hour.

“When the GO provides extra time of 50 per cent not exceeding one hour to physically handicapped persons, TNPSC is not expected to say that only 30 minutes extra time would be granted,” the Judge held.

The petitioner, who holds an M SC degree and belongs to Scheduled Caste, had cleared Group I preliminary exam conducted by TNPSC in 2013 and he was affected by left hemiparesis, he would not be able to complete the written test in three hours.

He had sent a representation to TNPSC on April 10 seeking additional time for the examination but no order was passed by it either accepting or rejecting his request. Hence, he filed the present petition.

TST