nnumerable grievances and problems of the people, of individuals, of localities, of a city, town or village, and sometimes of people in general, arise from time to time.  These may be man-made or caused by nature or by governmental functioning.  These call for redressal, removal of their cause, avoidance of their recurrence, and provision of compensation where necessitated.  Numerous organisations, institutions and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) have got created for assuming ... Read More

nnumerable grievances and problems of the people, of individuals, of localities, of a city, town or village, and sometimes of people in general, arise from time to time. These may be man-made or caused by nature or by governmental functioning. These call for redressal, removal of their cause, avoidance of their recurrence, and provision of compensation where necessitated. Numerous organisations, institutions and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) have got created for assuming responsibility of ... Read More

The first matter of primary importance taken to the Supreme Court was the one relating to pensions, which attracted notice all over the country and benefited 2.5 million pensioners. In 1979 the Government of India had introduced a measure of liberalisation for its pensioners, altering the formula of calculation of pension and thereby according a substantial increase, for further relief to the pensioners, of the civil as well as defence establishments, against the developing inflationary pressure... Read More

Two other important decisions relating to pensions were later secured by COMMON CAUSE from the Supreme Court. One related to pension commutation, and the other to family pensions. These too have benefited hundreds of thousands of persons all over the country and it is worthwhile stating basic facts relating to them. When a person retires from government service he is entitled to seek the benefit of commutation of a portion of his pension, thereby taking payment of a lumpsum amount, equivalent ge... Read More

The case relating to Family Pension is of equal significance and importance. When a pensioner passes away his widow is now entitled to a family pension, the amount of which was previously very meagre but has now sufficiently increased. The family pension scheme was introduced in 1964, with the orders that it will have application only to those persons who retired after 1.1.1964. We felt that this decision of the government, taken many years ago, was patently discriminatory, depriving the widows ... Read More

PROPERTY TAX System of assessment and levy of Property Tax had been hitherto based on the determination of "annual rental value". This system was alright fifty years ago when it was introduced but it is now riddled with shortcomings and inadequacies which lead inevitably to enormous lot of anomalies, discriminations and distortions in the assessments, and which give rise to great lot of grievances, foul play and scope for corruption. Largely the existing system consists of the pr... Read More

APARTMENTS OWNERSHIP ACT __________ ELECTRICITY BILLING - DEFECTIVE METERS __________ CONVERSION OF LEASEHOLD INTO FREEHOLD __________ ELECTRICITY LOAD __________ LOAD SHEDDING - THEFT OF ELECTRICITY __________ PHASING OUT OF BLUELINE BUSES __________ UNAUTHORISED COLONIES __________ POST RETIREMENT MEDICAL FACILITIES UNDER ESIC ACT. __________ STRIKE THREAT BY NTPC EXECUTIVES __________ RENT CONTROL __________ MIS – USE OF FARM H... Read More

AIRLINES AND AIRPORTS ________ COMPENSATION FOR AIR CRASH VICTIMS __________ INTRAVENOUS FLUIDS __________ IODISED SALT __________ ELECTRICITY SUPPLY __________ TELEPHONES __________ STRIKE BY AIR INDIA FLIGHT ENGINEERS __________ PRINTING OF MAXIMUM SALE PRICES ON PACKAGES __________ PRINTING OF SALE PRICES ON FILM PACKAGES __________ REFUND OF DEPOSITS BY SCOOTER SUPPLIERS __________ MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE – IT RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT... Read More

A Writ Petition on the subject of pendency of cases in courts and strength of Judges vis-à-vis population has been filed in the Supreme Court. The Law Commission of India as long ago as 1988 recommended the increase of ratio of 10.5 judges per million population to at least 50 judges per million; this to be done within a period of 10 years so that subsequently target of 107 judges per million is attained in due course. Even after 16 years of this recommendation the present ratio is only a... Read More

The problem of stupendous pendency of cases in the Courts of the country was also taken up at the administrative and political level by writing to the Prime Minister, Ministers of the Govt. of India and Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha). A copy of the letter was also sent to the President of India requesting him to advise the Council of Ministers in an appropriate manner to take such steps as to ensure that cases are disposed of in courts in a time bound manner. The letter is r... Read More