Cuttack, Sept 22: An 89-year-old woman got a provisional pension after a decade-long legal battle.

The Orissa High Court also expressed regret over the delay in her pension and urged the Odisha government to bring a policy to facilitate the provisional pension of beneficiaries easily. Justice V. Narasingh was hearing the petition of the woman.

According to reports, Lalita Mohanty’s husband Bhimasen Mohanty was working in the state transport department. He breathed his last in 1970 before retirement.

However, his wife did not get compensation after his death following which she appealed to the High Court.

The court had directed the department to sanction her family pension in 2013, but in vain.

Irate over the departmental irresponsibility, the court had directed the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation to give her dues before September 19 and to submit an affidavit in the court.

OSRTC CMD Diptesh Kumar Pattnayak appearing in the court on Wednesday submitted the report that the woman has been handed over the provisional family pension of Rs 16,01,846.