Daily Wage Workers Denied Pension: Madhya Pradesh High Court Ruling

In a landmark judgment concerning government employee benefits, the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur has rendered a significant ruling on pension entitlements. Notably, the court’s decision has brought clarity to the issue by asserting that only employees formally enlisted in eligible service roles can rightfully claim pension benefits.

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Justice Vivek Agrawal led the bench and unequivocally ruled that daily wage workers are ineligible for pension rights.
The verdict was in response to a petition filed by Motilal Dhar, a former surveyor in the Water Resources Department from 1995 to 2011, spanning 17 years.
Despite Dhar’s extended service, his plea for pension inclusion was rejected due to his classification as a daily wage earner.
The court emphasized that pension eligibility is governed by Rule 3(p) of the Pension Rules of 1976, which applies only to employees in pensionable service.
Daily wage positions, the court noted, do not fall within this category, thus disqualifying such workers from pension benefits.
The state government argued that Dhar’s status as a daily wage worker during the mentioned period legally precludes him from pension entitlements.