Madras High Court Orders Tamil Nadu Government to Respond on Guaranteed Pension Scheme Rules Within Eight Weeks

The Chennai High Court has ordered the Tamil Nadu government to respond within eight weeks to a petition seeking the formulation and announcement of necessary rules to implement the Guaranteed Pension Scheme.

The Tamil Nadu government had announced a new Guaranteed Pension Scheme for state employees, declared to come into effect from January 2026. A case was filed on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Old Pension Scheme Recovery Movement's state coordinator Nandagopal and three district coordinators, seeking the framing and notification of rules and operational guidelines to put the scheme into force.

In the petition, the petitioners stated that under the Guaranteed Pension Scheme, employees who joined service after the Old Contributory Pension Scheme came into effect and retired before 2026 are eligible to receive special compassionate pension under the new scheme.

However, the petition noted that no rules or operational guidelines have been framed to date for implementing the Guaranteed Pension Scheme. Since compassionate pension benefits cannot be accessed without such rules being in place, the petition urged the court to direct the Tamil Nadu government to formulate and notify the rules and operational guidelines.

Justice P.T. Asha, who heard the case, ordered the Tamil Nadu government to respond within eight weeks and adjourned the hearing.