Hemant Gupta, J. - (1.) THE petitioner has claimed a writ of certiorari for quashing Annexure P -17 dated 17.05.2004 whereby the claim of the petitioner for pension in terms of Punjab National Bank (Employees') Pension Regulations, 1995, was declined.
(2.) THE petitioner joined respondent Bank on 6.12.1979 as a Clerk in the branch office of the respondent Bank at Panipat. The petitioner was promoted from time to time and attained the age of superannuation while working as Special Assistant. The respondent Bank introduced a pension scheme in the year 1994. After some modification and amendment, the scheme was reintroduced in the year 1995. The said scheme is called PNB (Employees') Pension Regulations, 1995 (hereinafter to be referred as ''Pension Regulations ''). The scheme was circulated vide circular dated 15.11.1995 to all the branches of the respondent Bank. The petitioner opted for the said scheme vide option letter 30.01.1996 though the last date for the option in the scheme was 27.01.1996. It is the case of the petitioner that he has opted for pension in response to first circular dated 27.06.1994 but it appears that the said application was not forwarded to the Regional Office of the respondent Bank.
(3.) THE claim of the petitioner has been declined on the ground that his option to be governed by Pension Regulations has been received after the last date for receiving option i.e., on or before 27.01.1996. Therefore, the option submitted by the petitioner cannot be treated to be valid option for pension and consequently declined his claim for pension. It was also found that records of the respondent Bank do not show that the petitioner exercised his option in response to the earlier circular dated 27.06.1994.;