PSM employees' post-retirement benefits: Federal govt, PSM deposit Rs23.121 billion with SHC

KARACHI: Federal Government and Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) has deposited Rs23.121 billion with Sindh High Court (SHC) for payment of post-retirement benefits of employees of PSM. According to written order of SHC released on Thursday, Nazir of the court submitted a report which stated that PSM deposited a cheque of Rs11.680 billion in compliance of order dated 23.11.2020.

Vide report dated 02.09.2020, the Nazir had confirmed that an amount of Rs11.441 billion had been received by him in compliance of order dated 18.05.2020. After deposit of the above mentioned amount of Rs11.680 billion, the total amount deposited with the Nazir in pursuance of the orders of this Court came to Rs23.121 billion.

Counsel for the petitioners and PSM as well as Deputy Attorney General (DAG) confirmed that the entire amount committed or undertaken by the federal government has been deposited with Nazir. Counsel for the petitioners also confirmed that the process of disbursement of the said amount to retired employees of PSM towards their post-retirement benefits had been started by the Nazir in September 2020.

However, counsel for some of the petitioners stated that the Nazir is not entertaining their claims in respect of arrears and/or differential of salary, succession certificates produced by the legal heirs of deceased retired employees and claims submitted by the employees who retired during pendency of these petitions or after passing of orders therein.

Court directed Nazir to ensure that the entire amount of Rs23.121 billion received by him is utilised for settling the claim of post-retirement benefits of retired employees of PSM, and the entire exercise is completed as expeditiously as possible.

If any surplus amount is left after full and final settlement of the above dues, the said surplus amount shall be utilised for satisfying the claim of retired employees in respect of their arrears and/or differential of salary, court ordered and directed that the claims received by the Nazir in respect of arrears and/or differential of salary shall be scrutinised and verified by PSM after hearing the employee(s) concerned, whereafter the amount, as verified by PSM, shall be paid to the beneficiaries.

In case of any amount / dues payable by the retired employees to PSM, PSM shall submit details thereof in writing to the Nazir, whereafter the Nazir, after hearing the employees concerned, shall decide the amount to be deducted from his / their account and shall submit his reference to this Court for consideration, court directed.

Court ordered Nazir to entertain and consider the claims for post-retirement benefits submitted or to be submitted by the employees of PSM who retired during pendency of these petitions or after passing of orders therein; and, In cases where Succession Certificates are submitted by the legal heirs of deceased retired employees, Nazir shall disburse the share of each legal heir according to his / her entitlement as per Shariah, and the shares of minor legal heirs shall be kept by the Nazir in his safe custody by investing the same in any profit bearing government scheme till the minor attains the age of majority. However, the profit accrued on the share / investment of the minors shall be paid to his / her guardian next of kin if any application in this behalf is filed and granted by this Court.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020