In Brief
Three former postal workers hired as casual night guards in the 1970s-80s were granted "temporary status" in 1992 and treated as equivalent to regular Group D employees for pay and benefits. Despite decades of service, the Department denied them pensions upon retirement, claiming formal regularisation was mandatory. The Supreme Court held that pension is a constitutional right earned through continuous service, not a discretionary benefit. Once employees receive temporary status and complete ten years of service while being treated like regular employees, they qualify for pension regardless of lacking formal regularisation orders. The Court rejected the delay defence, as pension claims are continuous. It directed the Department to compute and pay all arrears within three months.
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