DEPARTMENT OF PENSION AND PENSIONER’S WELFARE

DEPARTMENT OF PENSION AND PENSIONER’S WELFARE

The Depar tment of Pension and Pensioner’s Welfare was set up in 1985 as par t of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions to cater to the Central Civil Pensioners across the country. It is the nodal agency of the Government of India for formulation of general policy on pension and other retirement benefits, as also the redressal of grievances relating to pension and retirement benefits. The Department has taken a number of steps over the years for streamlining the pension administration system for greater convenience and welfare of the pensioners.

2. This Department is concer ned with the formulation and implementation of rules relating to:-
i. CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972
ii. CCS (Commutation of Pension) Rules, 1981
iii. GPF (CS) Rules, 1960
iv. CPF Rules (India), 1962
v. CCS (Extra-ordinary Pension) Rules

3. Some of the important events/decisions taken dur ing 2008-2009 are as under:-

SIXTH CPC RECOMMENDATIONS

3.1 Consequent upon the implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission, orders for revision of pension of the pre-2006 and post-2006 pensioners have been issued on 1 September, 2008 and 2 September, 2008 respectively. Also provisions regulating pension/family pension/disability pension, etc., have been further liberalised. Some of the major decisions taken with regard to implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission relating to Pension are:-

With effect from 1 January, 2006, minimum Pension/ Family Pension has been enhanced from Rs. 1275/- to Rs. 3500/- per month.

Pension/family pension of pre-2006 pensioners/family pensioners has been increased by a minimum of 40 per cent of the pre-revised basic pension/family pension. This is more than the increase recommended by the Pay Commission.

Old pensioners/family pensioners of the age of 80 years and above are now entitled to additional pension ranging from 20 per cent to 100 per cent of the revised basic pension/family pension.

Full pension is now admissible on completion of 20 years of qualifying service (instead of 33 years of qualifying ser vice) which is calculated at the rate of 50 per cent of the last pay drawn or 10 months’ average emoluments whichever is beneficial to the retiring employee

The ceiling for all kinds of gratuity has been raised from Rs.3.5 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh.

A childless widow will get Family Pension even after her re-marriage.

Ex-gratia compensation to families of employees who lost their lives in the performance of duty has been enhanced from Rs.5 lakh /7.5 lakh to Rs. 10
lakh/15 lakh.

100per cent disabled pensioners, who retired in accordance with CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules are now entitled to Constant Attendant Allowance
@ Rs. 3000/- per month.

Instructions have been issued for enhancement in the ad-hoc ex-gratia allowance to the level of Rs.3500/- w.e.f. 1 January, 2006 to (i) Bur ma/ Pakistan Civilian Pensioners/ Family Pensioners; (ii) Retired Central Government employees covered under Indo-Pakistan Agreement – 1949; (iii) Dependents of victim of Quetta Earthquake; and (iv) Dependents of Gover nment servants covered under Press Note of 1954.

All orders concer ning revision of Pension/ Family Pension, etc. issued by the Department were hosted on the Website of this Department for public domain.

Specific instructions were issued to all Pension Disbursing Authorities, including the Public Sector Banks, to ensure that the revised Pension/ Family
Pension and arrears thereof are paid to the pensioners/ family pensioners on priority.

DEARNESS RELIEF TO PENSIONER/ FAMILY PENSIONER

3.2 Rates of Dear ness Relief (DR) payable to Pensioners/ Family Pensioners have been revised w.e.f. 1 January, 2006. Dearness Relief will now be payable at the following rates:
i. 1.1.06 – Nil
ii. 1.7.06 – 2 per cent
iii. 1.1.07 – 6 per cent
iv. 1.7.07 – 9 per cent
v. 1.1.08 – 12 per cent
vi. 1.7.08 – 16 per cent

3.2.1 To enable banks to speedily disburse the D.R., copies of the order were sent by Fax/E-Mail to Public Sector Banks and also hosted on the website of this Department.

OTHER MAJOR DECISIONS
4. The other major decision are as follows:-
I. A son/ daughter of a Government ser vant, suffering from any disorder or disability of mind (including mentally retarded) or physically cr ippled or disabled, would now be required to submit Medical Certificate from a ‘Medical Board’ (as laid down therein) once if the disability is permanent and once in five years if the disability is tempor ary.

II. Special benefits in cases of death and disability in ser vice – Minimum ceiling of Family Pension and Disability Pension enhanced (for Categor y ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ and ‘E’) consequent upon enhancement in the minimum ceiling of pension/ family pension.

PENSIONERS’ PORTAL – A MISSION MODE PROJECT ON PENSION

5. The Department launched a Pensioners’ Portal for public domain in March, 2007with a view to facilitating information relating to pension matters and facilitate readressal of pensioners’ grievances. Following activities have been undertaken since then:-

a) 27 Pensioners’ Associations have been identified across the country as part of the implementation process of the Portal. This has been done through a series of visits by the department’s officers to the states in order to assess their suitability/capability to implement the por tal.

b) The Pensioners’ Associations have been strengthened by way of installation
of Hardware/Software at their locations; training of their representatives; provision of recurring grant-in-aid for meeting day-to-day expenditure; necessary guidance and advice from the Department;

c) NIC Computer Centre in the Depar tment has been strengthened through the provision of necessar y Hardware/Software.

d) 2 Programmers engaged to suppor t the efforts of the Depar tment for implementation of Por tal.

e) Homepage further improved through addition of more utilities by providing hyper/ related links.

f) Depar tment related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Demands for Grants of this Ministr y (2007-08) reviewed the working of the Portal and commended the excellent work done by the Depar tment to help the pensioners.

Source: www.persmin.nic.in