In Brief
Veena Pandey, widow of a retired coal sector employee, claimed pension benefits under the Coal Mines Pension Scheme, 1998. Her husband had opted for 90% pension during his lifetime; on his death in 2011, she claimed a lump sum equivalent to 100 times his full monthly pension. The employer paid only a refund of the surrendered 10% with interest. The High Court dismissed her writ petition solely on grounds of territorial jurisdiction without addressing the merits. The Supreme Court allowed her appeal, holding that pension constitutes a property right and vested entitlements cannot be defeated by subsequent administrative action. The Court directed the employer to compute and disburse the full amount due under the pension scheme within eight weeks.
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