From Rs 17,500 to Rs 1.12 lakh: Telangana High Court restores Old Pension Scheme for retired judge

Upon her retirement, although she was entitled to benefits from Telangana under OPS, consistent with her service history in Uttar Pradesh, she was mistakenly registered under the New Pension Scheme (NPS), also known as the Contributory Pension Scheme. The court noted a stark contrast in the pension amounts resulting from this error.

“On retirement, the petitioner was being paid a paltry sum of around Rs.17,500/- per month towards pension as against her actual entitlement of Rs.1,12,500/- under the Old Pension Scheme,” the bench noted.

The former judge approached the high court after repeated correspondence with the department failed to yield results. During the proceedings, the State of Telangana and the Office of the Accountant General scrutinised the claim and confirmed that the petitioner was indeed entitled to the OPS based on the option she exercised while serving in Uttar Pradesh.

The counsel for the petitioner informed the court that she has already refunded the contributions she received under the NPS, and funds held with HDFC Bank have been returned to the state treasury.

The additional solicitor general of India (ASGI) presented a correspondence dated March 13, 2026, confirming that the principal accountant general has issued the necessary approvals and calculations for the pension and arrears.

The division bench then noted that while the final implementation is subject to sanction from the President of India, the process must be prioritised. The court emphasised the need for a swift resolution, stating that the pension “would be implemented as expeditiously as possible, preferably within an outer limit of eight weeks from today”.

The writ petition was disposed of with no order as to costs, ensuring that the former judge receives her full retirement benefits, including all arrears from the date of her retirement.