Lokayukta orders grant of benefits denied to Justice Barkat Ali

Thiruvananthapuram: The Lokayukta has ordered the government to pay former high court judge and former state consumer disputes redressal commission president P.Q Barkat Ali the deserving amount and gratuity with interest. 

Lokayukta justice Cyriac Joseph and deputy Lokayukta justice Babu Mathew P Joseph passed an order to pay the accumulated amount including the gratuity for the 5-year period and earned leave surrender where Barkat Ali served as the president of consumer disputes redressal commission  and six percent interest with effect from the date of retirement. 

Barkat Ali served as the president of the state consumer disputes redressal commission from October 11, 2012 to May 5, 2017. He had made a petition to be sanctioned the amount due from surrender of earned leave and the gratuity for his five years of service. But the government rejected this. The government was of the position that only the high court judges who are currently in service can avail of this benefit.

However, the Lokayukta ordered the payment of benefits to the complainant on the grounds that the High court had ruled that the president of the  consumer disputes redressal commission was entitled to the benefits availed by a judge of the high court. 

Barkat Ali, who retired in 2017, will receive six percent interest as the benefits of his service period .