In a major relief to government employees, the Centre has issued new comprehensive guidelines to ensure timely payment of pension and retirement benefits.
These rules are aimed at ensuring that no government employee has to wait for months for their pension or Pension Payment Order (PPO) after retirement.
The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW), which comes under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, has released an Office Memorandum, asking all ministries and government departments to complete all pension-related formalities within the stipulated timeframe so that employees receive their PPO immediately upon retirement.
“The major thrust areas identified for systemic improvement are digitisation of service records, universalisation of Bhavishya, appointment of High Level Oversight Committee (HLOC) in DoPPW and line Ministries and handholding of pensioners through introduction of Pension Mitras/Welfare Officers in all the departments,” the ministry said in an official statement.
Emphasis is on digitalising and ensuring transparency in pension process
The DoPPW has taken several important measures in recent times to streamline and make the retirement process smooth for government servants. Under the new guidelines, all ministries and departments are required to digitise their employees’ service records and fully adopt the e-HRMS (Electronic-Human Resource Management System) system. This will ensure that every employee’s verified service record is available online, eliminating any delays in the pension process.
Every department will now have a ‘Pension Mitra’
Under the new system, a concept of a “Pension Mitra” or Welfare Officer has been introduced. This officer will assist retiring employees in every department so that they do not face any difficulties in filling out forms, preparing documents, and other procedures. In the event of the pensioner’s death, this officer will also assist family members so that family pension claims can be filed in a timely manner.
Vigilance clearance will prevent pension delays
The process related to Vigilance Clearance, which has often caused delays in pension payments, has also been simplified. The new rules clearly say that pensions will not be withheld under any circumstances due to the lack of vigilance clearance. If departmental or judicial proceedings are pending against an employee, a provisional pension will be issued, while gratuity payments may be withheld until the final order is issued.
Bhavishya portal will be universally used
All ministries have been asked to use the Bhavishya portal. This portal provides real-time monitoring of pension cases and tracks progress at every stage. This will ensure that PPOs/e-PPOs are issued at least two months before the retirement date. Currently, over 10,000 Drawing and Disbursing Offices (DDOs) are connected to this portal.
‘Oversight mechanism’ to be created, bimonthly review
An Oversight Monitoring Mechanism (OSM) has been developed to monitor pension cases. Under this, a Nodal Oversight Committee will be established in the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare and each ministry. Additionally, a High-Level Oversight Committee (HLOC) will be formed, which will review pending cases every two months and prepare a report on the ministries’ performance.
Strict deadlines for timely issuance of PPOs
According to Rule 63(1)(a) of the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021, it is now mandatory to issue a PPO/e-PPO to any government employee two months before their retirement date. All departments have been instructed to make necessary improvements (business process re-engineering) to their internal processes to achieve this.
Government’s aim: A dignified and stress-free retirement for every retired employee
The government says that the aim of these new guidelines is not only to speed up the pension process but also to provide retired employees with a dignified and stress-free retirement experience. Digitisation, timelines, and a monitoring system will ensure that no employee has to wait for their entitlement.