Revision of pension of pre-2006 pensioners: Sixth Pay Commission

The latest news and update from the Sixth Pay Commission is from the Revision of pension of pre-2006 pensioners. Below, we present the text as it appears on the Office Memorandum Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of Personnel & Training. Though utmost care has been taken to replicate the text as it is, but E&OE.

Dated the 21st May, 2009.
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Sub: Implementation of Government's decision on the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission - Revision of pension of pre-2006 pensioners/family pensioners etc

The undersigned is directed say that in this Department's OM of even number dated 14.10.2008, all the pension disbursing public sector banks were requested to revise and disburse the enhanced pension (with deamess relief) and arrears within one month from the date of issue of that O.M. It was mentioned that a suitable entry regarding the revised pension would be recorded by the pension Disbursing Authorities in both halves of the Pension Payment Order and an intimation regarding disbursement of revised pension would be sent by the pension disbursing authorities to the Office of CPAO and Accounts Officer which had issued the PPO in the revised form given at Annexure-tll of the said OM so that they could verify the pension so revised and update the Pension Payment Order Register, etc. In Annexure-lll, it was mentioned that the verification/final revision of pension/family pension in respect of pensioners would be done by the Pay and Account Officer concerned.

2. Accordingly, in cases where the information in Annexure-lll has been received by the Pay and Accounts Officer from the Pension Disbursing Banks etc., he should verify the same and issue a revised authority for payment of pension. In case there is any discrepancy in the revision of pension by the Bank, the bank should be informed by the Pay and Accounts Officer immediately for making necessary adjustment. In cases where the information in Annexure-tll has not been received by the Pay and Accounts Officer from the Bank, the Pay and Accounts Officer should issue revised authority for payment of pension based on the PPO/available records and send it to Bank for making the payment of revised pension accordingly.

3. In the aforesaid OM dated 14.10.2008, it was provided that in case any information regarding date of birth, scale of pay or the qualifying service, etc. was not available with the bank, the bank may obtain the requisite information from the concerned Pay and Accounts Officer/CPAO. It would be the responsibility of the concerned Pay and Accounts Officer/CPAO to provide the information from the available records within two weeks r.f the receipt of request from the bank.

4. The matter regarding the methodology to be adopted for payment of additions' pension to old pensioners/family pensioners in cases where the date of birth is not available in the PPO as well as in the office records of CPAO/Pay and Accounts Office had been under consideration in consultation with the Controller General of Accounts and the Ministry of Finance. It has now been decided that in case the exact date of birth is not available either in the PPO or in the office records but an indication regarding the age of pensioner/family pensioner is available in the office record, the additional pension/family pension shall be paid from the 1st January of the year following the year in which the pensioner/family pensioner has completed the age of 80 years, 85 years, etc. based on PPO/office records. For example, if the records show that the pensioner/family pensioner has already completed the age of 80 years/85 years as on 1st January, 2008, he shall be allowed additional pension/family pension from 1" January, 2008.

5. In case neither the exact date of birth nor the age is available either in the PPO or in the office records, the Pension Disbursing Authority/Bank will send an intimation to the pensioner/family pensioner about the non-availabtfity of the information regarding date of birth/age and request him to submit four copies of any of the following documents, duly attested by a Gazetted offlcer/MLA to the Pension Disbursing Authority:
(i) Pan Card
(ii) Matriculation certificate (containing the information regarding date of birth)
(iii) Passport
(iv) CGHS Card
(v) Driving licence (if it contains date of birth)

If the pensioner/family pensioner submits a document which contains the information regarding exact date of birth, the additional pension/ family pension will be payable from the 1st day of the month in which his date of birth falls, in the manner indicated in this Department's O.M. of even number dated 3.10.2008. tn case the exact date of birth is not available on the document submitted by the pensioner/family pensioner but an indication regarding the age of pensioner/family pensioner is available therein, the additional pension/family pension shall be paid from the 1 st January of the year following the year in which the pensioner/family pensioner has completed the age of 80 years, 65 years, etc. based on the document submitted by the pensioner/family pensioner. For example, if the copy of the Election ID Card submitted by the pensioner/family pensioner indicates that his/her age on 1st January, 2007 is 80 years, he/she shall be allowed additional pension/family pension from 1" January, 2007.

6. The Pension Disbursing Authority/Bank will make payment of additional pension/family pension in the above manner, on provisional basis, up to a period of three months from the month in which the proof of age/date of birth is submitted by the pensioner/family pensioner, tn such cases, the Pension Disbursing Authority/Bank will immediately send one copy each of the document submitted by the pensioner/family pensioner to the Pay and Account Officer/CPAO for formal authorisation of the additional pension/family pension. The Pension Disbursing Authority/Bank will make payment of additional pension/family pension beyond a period of three months only on receipt of such an authorisation from the Pay and Account Officer.

7. In case the pensioner/family pensioner is unable to submit any of the documents mentioned in para 5 above but claims additional pension based on some other documentary evidence, such cases will be submitted to the administrative Ministry. If the administrative Ministry is satisfied about the claim of the pensioner/family pensioner, it will authorise additional pension/family pension accordingly. The decision of the
Administrative Ministry in this regard will be final.

8. It is impressed upon all the Ministries/Departments of the Government of India and the pension disbursing authorities to keep in view the above decisions while disposing of the cases of payment of additional pension/family pension. CGA/CPAO are requested to advise all Pension disbursing/sanctioning authorities to take suitable action in accordancewith the above instructions/guidelines. Similarty instructions may be issued by Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Railways to their concerned Accounts Department accordingly.

9. This issues with the concurrence of Ministry of Finance (Department of Expenditure) vide their I.C. U.O. No. 1857EV/2009 dated 4.5.2009