Ex-Employee's Pension Delayed, Tripura Tribal Council Stops Officers' Salaries

The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) has frozen the salaries of its Group A and Group B officers over the failure to process the pension and other retirement benefits of a former employee.

According to an official order made public on Wednesday, the salaries of the concerned officers will remain withheld "until further orders".

The action follows a September 9 order of the Tripura High Court in connection with a petition filed by a former TTAADC employee, who alleged that his pension and other retirement benefits amounting to Rs 16.03 lakh had not been released after his superannuation on January 31, 2025.

The high court had directed action against TTAADC employees and officers, excluding those belonging to Group C and Group D categories, until the retirement-related issue was resolved.

TTAADC Chief Executive Member Chaitanya Murti said the council issued an order on September 17 withholding the salaries of all Group A and Group B officers until further orders.

The high court has also directed the TTAADC Chief Executive Officer, the State Finance Secretary and the concerned district treasury officers to examine the matter and take necessary steps for its resolution.

The council, however, has maintained that it cannot release the pending amount unless the State Finance Secretary facilitates the release of the required funds.

The matter is scheduled to come up for further hearing before the high court on October 5, a week after elections to the 587 village committees under the TTAADC are scheduled to be held.

The development has put the spotlight on the administrative and financial coordination between the autonomous district council and the state government over the settlement of retirement benefits.