The Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare (DoPPW) has proposed a step-by-step procedure to be followed in authorising pensions and gratuities to government employees retiring on superannuation. The timeline adheres to the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2021, and is designed to ensure the timely delivery of retirement benefits. This is associated with the cooperation of different offices, where a particular phase must be accomplished within a specified time.
DoPPW has made it clear that a superannuation pension is applicable to employees who retire upon attaining 58 years of superior service and 60 years of basic service. In the Office Memorandum (OM) of the department, the authorisation for pensions and gratuity is highlighted as being associated with various activities undertaken by different authorities, all working within specified timelines.
The retirement list preparation starts 15 months prior to retirement. By the 15th of every month, the Head of Department (HoD) is required to compile a list of employees who are scheduled to retire within the next 15 months. This is the first step in ensuring that verification and subsequent processing occur immediately.
Employees must provide information on government accommodation at least twelve months before they retire. These facts enable one to obtain a No Demand Certificate, which ensures that there are no outstanding dues as of the retirement date. Ensure that there are reviews of service records: six to twelve months before the retirement date, departments should verify whether there are any omissions in the service book. This is done with the intention of ensuring that the calculation of pension and gratuity is done right.
Form 6-A should be submitted by employees to the head office six months prior to retirement. Four months ago, the head of the office completed Part I of Form 7, which included a checklist and a sheet of calculations for pensions in Form 10. A verification of the pension case is then carried out by the accounts officer, who then issues the Pension Payment Order (PPO) two months prior to retirement.
The Central Pension Accounting Office provides a special seal of authority to the PPO and Form 6-A within 21 days of receipt. The retirement benefits are paid on the date of retirement by the body that provides pensions. According to DoPPW, OM compliance with these deadlines will help ensure that pensions and gratuity are paid to the retired employee on time.
This is a systematic process that will eliminate delays and enhance the transparency of the retirement benefits process. Government workers can also use the detailed timeline to track each step and ensure that they do not violate the DoPPW rules, thereby making the transition to retirement process smooth.