Retirement age: Plea by retired government employee dismissed

MADURAI: Observing that an earlier order of the Madras high court dismissing a batch of petitions filed by government teachers seeking extension of retirement age, applies to all government servants, who retired prior to the date of notification, the court on dismissed a plea moved by a retired government employee seeking extension.
Justice V Bhavani Subbaroyan passed the order while hearing the petition filed by S Rajendran who sought to extend him the benefit of state government’s GO which had extended the retirement age of employees from 58 to 59 years.
The petitioner, who was working as a junior training officer at the government industrial training institute at Aruppukottai in Virudhunagar district, retired from service upon attaining the age of superannuation on April 30.
The judge said the government in an order dated May 7 had increased the age of retirement of government servants from 58 to 59 years. It was stated that this was applicable to employees who are in regular service as on May 7 and due to retire on superannuation from May 31.
The judge observed that the petitioner had retired from service on April 30 and ceased to be a regular employee. The judge said the GO will not be applicable to those who had retired earlier to the date from which the order comes into effect, citing that the GO can come into effect only prospectively and not retrospectively.