Centre flags pension litigation delays, seeks stronger court defence

New Delhi, Oct 27 (UNI) The Centre has asked ministries to seek pension-policy advice on time and strengthen their legal defence, flagging delayed and incomplete references as a cause of adverse court orders and contempt proceedings. The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW), in office memorandum, reiterated that the primary responsibility for defending government cases rests with the concerned administrative ministry or department. "In no case should the litigation be allowed to prolong to the extent that it results in contempt proceedings," the memorandum states. The department said it continues to receive requests for advice at a late stage,…