THE Indian government is yet to learn to pay its dues to the senior citizens who have served them in their active years.
Various ministries have not yet issued revised Pension Payment Orders ( PPOs) to lakhs of pensioners who retired before 2006. To add insult to injury, the ministries have not even maintained the records.
In a recent meeting of Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies ( SCOVA), with department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, held last month, it was revealed that lakhs of pensioners and their families are still eluded from the revised pension.
Pension or family pension of pre- 2006 pensioners has already been as per the recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission.
According to the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions, fresh pension papers indicating the revised the amount have not reached some of the pensioners yet.
Seemingly, various ministries are going to miss the target of updating the data of pensioners and issuing them a revised pension.
Ministry of Railways has already missed the target date of March 31, 2013. The next target date of December 31, 2013 seems a difficult task to meet.
“ Central Pension Accounting Office ( CPAO) informed that as on August 8, 2013 as many as 71,334 cases ( 34, 7333 pre- 1990 and 36,601 pre- 2006) of civil ministries and departments are pending for revision.
The major reason cited by the ministries for non- revision is non- availability of records of the pensioners in CPAO, ministries, departments and banks,” the minutes of meeting stated. At least 29,855 cases are pending with the department of posts which they are hoping to complete by November 30, 2013.
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