The Election Commission has cleared the revised pension of retired Haryana government employees, despite the model code of conduct. The central government had allowed Haryana to implement the recommendations of the A M Sharan Pension Review Committee, leading to a 20 per cent increase in pension for the retired state government employees.

The revised pension for retired Haryana government employees will be on the same pattern as the Central government employees, say sources. The decision will benefit about 1.5 lakh persons, and put an additional burden of Rs 300 crore per annum on the Haryana government.

Earlier, Finance Minister Birender Singh had made a budgetary provision for it. The government had announced that the revised pension would be paid from April 1.

But EC had asked Haryana government not to pay the increased pension to the retired government employees in the state, after the government had announced the hike by implementing the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission.

Haryana had contended that the government's decision and the announcement for the increase in the pension to retired employees was made before the announcement of the general elections, and before the model code of conduct came into effect.