Family Pension Rules Must Be Interpreted Liberally for Disabled Dependents : J&K and Ladakh High Court

The J&K and Ladakh HC has ruled that family pension provisions for disabled persons must be interpreted liberally to ensure that genuine claimants are not denied benefits.

The case involved Smt. Balbir Kour, a 100% disabled woman suffering from a congenital disease, applied for pension after her father's death, who worked in SBI for 23 years after serving in the Army.

The Army had recognized her disability and recommended her for family pension, but SBI rejected the claim on technical grounds, prompting her to move to court.

The court held that since her disability was congenital and evident before her father’s retirement in 1994, stating procedural grounds was unjustified, and she was entitled to the pension.