MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has dismissed five appeals filed by the Tamil Nadu government challenging a single judge’s order that quashed its decision to withdraw enhanced pension benefits granted to government doctors who retired before October 23, 2009.

A Division Bench of Justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel upheld the single judge’s order, observing that the government had a duty to recognise the dedicated services rendered by doctors and should not leave pensioners and their families in distress.

“The Government, as a welfare state, has a duty to recognise the loyal services rendered by a public servant. He had committed himself during service, putting his life on the line while treating patients with infectious diseases,” the court observed.

The judges said the government could not reduce sanctioned pension benefits merely by citing financial commitments towards other welfare schemes.

The bench observed that the government could not take away a portion of the pension through an order lacking statutory authority. It also noted that Rule 56 of the Tamil Nadu Pension Rules, 1978, had not been amended to support the government’s action.

The doctors and family pensioners had challenged a government order issued on February 5, 2025, which sought to restore their pensions to the rates applicable before the revision. A single judge quashed the order on December 16, 2025, following which the government filed the appeals.