INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
CUTTACK: The Orissa high court has directed the Kendrapada district collector to pay family pension to a 91-year-old widow whose husband, a
school teacher, died 46 years ago.A single judge bench of Justice Biraja Prasanna Satapathy issued the direction Wednesday in the case of
Hara Sahoo, the wife of Benudhar Sahoo, who was an assistant teacher at Ratnakar Middle English School in Kasoti, when he died on August 26,
1977.The widow had filed several representations for family pension before the school as well as mass education authorities in the district
since 1991, but in vain.Hara moved to HC on October 19, after the Kendrapada collector rejected her representation for family pension,
gratuity and other service benefits on August 21.The state authorities had taken the stand that the woman was not eligible for family
pension as it was introduced after the death of her husband
However, Justice Satapathy granted the relief considering that though Benudhar died in 1977, in normal course he would have retired in 1983
stays with her only son, a 60-year-old retired fisheries department employee, daughter-in-law and three grandsons at Palei Derakundi in
authorities in the district since 1991, but in vain
