Expeditious settlement of Family Pension cases by Banks – Government seeks a half-yearly statement on progress of sanction of family pension cases
Sanjiv Narain Mathur
Joint Secretary to Government of India
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA,
MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES
& PENSIONS,
DEPARTMENT OF PENSION & PENSIONERS’ WELFARE
LOK NAYAK BHAWAN, KHAN MARKET,
NEW DELHI-110003
D.O. No. 3(8)/2021-P&PW(H)-7246
June 17, 2021
Dear Madam/Sir,
Some instances have been brought to the notice of this Department wherein, on the death of a pensioner, the spouse/family members of the deceased pensioner were asked by the Pension Disbursing Banks to submit details and documents, which are otherwise not required for commencement of family pension. Specially during the Covid-19 pandemic, this has also caused a lot of inconvenience to the families of Pensioners.
2. The Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare has therefore issued instructions vide OM of even number, dated 16.06.2021, re-iterating the documents which are required to be submitted by the spouse/family member of the deceased pensioner for commencement of family pension by the Banks. A copy of this OM is enclosed.
3. As you are aware, the Government is committed to Ease of Living of the Pensioners. I would request you to kindly issue suitable instructions to the CPPC(s) and the pension paying branches of your Bank to obtain only the minimum essential details/documents, as mentioned in the enclosed OM, from the claimants of family pension, and to ensure that they are not subjected to any inconvenience by seeking unnecessary details and documents.
4. The Branches of the Bank may please be instructed to give an acknowledgement to the claimant as soon as he/she submits the claim for family pension. The CPPC(s) and the Branches of the Bank may also be directed to ensure that the payment of family pension is commenced within one month of the receipt of the claim along with death certificate.
5. Special awareness programmes may kindly be conducted for sensitizing the concerned officers and staff of the CPPC(s) and the branches of the Bank to make them aware of the latest instructions as well as for compassionate handling of family pension cases. The Bank’s website should prominently display the name and contact details of a nodal officer who can be contacted by a family pensioner in the event of any inconvenience faced in processing a family pension case after the death of a Pensioner. Administrative delay caused after receipt of the required documents by the claimant should be examined closely in order to prevent recurrence.
6. A half-yearly statement on the progress of sanction of family pension cases may be submitted to this Department latest by 15th of October and 15t> of April, in the format attached with the enclosed OM.
Warm regards,
Encl, As above
[DoP&PW O.M. No. 3(8)/2021-P&PW(H)-7246 dated 16th June, 2021]
Yours sincerely,
sd/-
(Sanjiv Narain Mathur)
CMDs of all Pension Disbursing Banks
Copy to: Secretary, Department of Financial Services for kind information.
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