Delhi HC directs to provide Pension on urgent basis

Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board has been directed by the Delhi High Court in a recent case of Sunil Kumar Aledia v. Government of NCT of Delhi & others, that construction workers eligible for pension, should be provided with it within two weeks, if the pension has already been sanctioned and for others it should be examined within four weeks.

The one judge bench recognized the sufferings of the construction workers and other workers in the time of COVID19. To make the pension procedure feasible, the court also directed the Delhi State Legal Services Authority and the Delhi Government to assist the Workers Board to verify the applications of such workers expeditiously.

This order was passed when a Public Interest Litigation was filed for adequate compensation for the construction workers who lost their jobs due to the national lockdown amidst COVID19. The PIL mentioned that there were as many as 91 pending applications of workers for pension, in the district offices and therefore the court has asked the board to examine and take a quick decision on all such applications within four weeks from passing of the order.

The workers, whose application gets rejected should be informed the reason for such rejection by the authority. The court also added that the workers should be provided with an opportunity to produce required documents and to make representation, to support their claims.