Centre simplifies rules to ensure ease of living for its pensioners

The Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare has undertaken a massive campaign to simplify rules to ensure “ease of living” for central government pensioners, said an official statement issued on Thursday (October 20).

The DoPPW which administers pension-related policy matters in respect to central government civil employees, has launched a major campaign on easing of rules during the ongoing special campaign.

The Centre has launched a special cleanliness campaign from October 2 to October 31, aimed at simplifying of rules/procedures, disposing of scrap/waste, minimizing pendency of work and resolving public grievances in all its departments.

“In order to ensure timely payment of pensionary benefits to retired government servants/family members and to enhance ease of living of pensioners after their retirement, this department (DoPPW) simplifies rules and issues guidelines/instructions to ministries/departments, pension disbursing banks etc.,” it said.

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The Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare (DoPPW) has undertaken a massive campaign to review and simplify pension rules and issued instructions during the special campaign 2.0 launched by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) for disposal of pending matters during October 2-31, said the statement issued by the Personnel Ministry.

Parameters for the special campaign include number of rules/process identified for simplification.

The DoPPW has issued 30 notifications/circulars in October including enhancement of dearness relief from 34 per cent to 38 per cent and “instruction related to maximum ceiling of contribution under General Provident Fund during financial year” among others, simplifying existing rules/procedures.

In another press release, the DoPPW said it has targeted to resolve 4,200 pending pension grievances to ensure speedy redressal and to enhance “ease of living” for 68 lakh central government pensioners.

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As on October 19, 2022, i.e. within 18 days of the campaign, 3,080 pension grievances have already been resolved, it said.

The department is convening inter-ministerial meetings with ministries/departments concerned to resolve all grievances within due time period and it is on track to achieve the ambitious target set by it at the start of the campaign to bring down the pendency of pension grievances.

(With inputs from agencies)