Udupi: An 85-year-old senior citizen, Vasu Kotian, has spent the past two years moving from one government office to another seeking his rightful family pension following the death of his wife, and has now approached the Udupi-based Human Rights Protection Foundation for support in securing justice.

Addressing reporters at a press conference on Thursday, January 8, Dr Ravindranath Shanbagh, president of the Human Rights Protection Foundation, detailed the prolonged struggle faced by Vasu Kotian despite repeated compliance with official procedures. He said Kotian’s wife, Varija Kotian, served as a primary school teacher in Surathkal for 36 years and retired from service in December 2013. She received her pension regularly for nearly a decade before passing away in January 2023.

Application submitted soon after wife’s death

Dr Shanbagh explained that as per existing rules, Vasu Kotian became eligible for family pension after his wife’s death. Accordingly, on March 23, 2023, Kotian submitted an application along with all required documents to the Block Education Officer (BEO) in Mangaluru. After verification, the BEO forwarded the application with recommendations to the office of the Accountant General (AG).

However, despite the completion of formalities at the initial level, the process did not move forward. Dr Shanbagh said that even after three weeks, there was no response from the AG’s office, prompting Vasu Kotian to personally travel to Bengaluru to inquire about the status of his application.

Repeated visits and fresh demands

During his first visit to the AG’s office, Kotian was informed that his file had not yet reached them. Nearly three months later, during his second visit, clerical staff confirmed that the file had arrived but told him that processing would take another 45 days.

Subsequently, he was informed that a Survivor Certificate was mandatory for processing the family pension. Kotian immediately obtained the certificate from the Mangaluru tahsildar and forwarded it to the AG’s office along with a joint family photograph, as instructed.

Despite this, there was still no progress on his application.

Multiple submissions and unanswered reminders

Over the past two years, Vasu Kotian has submitted applications on three separate occasions, enclosing all relevant documents, including his wife’s death certificate, original pension sanction order, Survivor Certificate, and joint family photograph. In addition, he sent seven reminder letters, most of which were forwarded with recommendations from the BEO’s office.

Dr Shanbagh said that in spite of these repeated efforts, there was no formal response from the AG’s office. Kotian personally visited the AG’s office on eight occasions, repeatedly requesting officials to process his case, but to no avail.

Letter addressed to deceased teacher

Highlighting what he termed as administrative insensitivity, Dr Shanbagh said that on one occasion, a registered letter was sent by the AG’s office addressed to Varija Kotian, who was already deceased. Although Vasu Kotian was ready to receive the letter, the postman refused to hand it over, insisting on the signature of Varija Kotian. As a result, the letter was returned to the AG’s office.

Later, the education department reportedly confirmed that the same letter had been sent to both the deceased teacher and her husband. When Vasu Kotian questioned how a deceased person could provide a signature, he allegedly received a rude response from officials at the AG’s office.

Legal position on family pension

Dr Shanbagh emphasised that court rulings and government guidelines clearly state that in cases where no nomination exists, the family pension must be granted to eligible family members. The Survivor Certificate issued by the tahsildar lists Vasu Kotian and the couple’s two children as legal heirs.

As both children are above 40 years of age, only Vasu Kotian is eligible to receive the family pension under the rules, Dr Shanbagh said.

Matter escalated to higher authorities

The Human Rights Protection Foundation has now taken up the issue with the Accountant General’s office and has also escalated the matter to the Union Ministry of Finance, seeking immediate intervention. The organisation has demanded that the pension be sanctioned without further delay, citing the prolonged hardship faced by the elderly applicant.

Dr Shanbagh said the foundation would continue to stand by Vasu Kotian until he receives the pension he is legally entitled to, adding that denial of pension to a senior citizen for such an extended period amounts to a violation of basic human rights.

Conclusion

The case has drawn attention to the difficulties faced by senior citizens in navigating bureaucratic processes, even when all required documents are submitted. The foundation hopes that intervention by higher authorities will bring relief to Vasu Kotian and help prevent similar hardships for others in the future.

The press conference was attended by Vasu Kotian, Anil, Shashank, Rishi Baradwaj, and Aishwarya.