Govt Employees Retiring During COVID-19 Pandemic To Receive 'Provisional' Pension

Union Minister of State for Public Grievances & Pensions Jitendra Singh today said that the government employees who are retiring during the COVID-19 pandemic will get 'provisional' pension till their regular Pension Payment Order (PPO) is issued and all other official formalities are completed.

After the Modi government took over, the Department of Pensions had upgraded and equipped itself to deliver the PPO to the concerned employee without delay on the day of his or her superannuation. Besides, the Department of Pension has also created a Portal which could be accessed by any government employee approaching superannuation to find out the status of his or her pension papers, he said.

However, because of the disruption in the official work due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, some of the employees who had retired during this period may not have been provided with PPO, said Singh.

"As an evidence of the present government's sensitivity towards the pensioners and the senior citizens, a decision has been taken that in order to avoid a delay in the start of regular pension covered under CCS (Pension Rules) 1972, the rules may be relaxed to enable seamless payment of Provisional Pension and Provisional Gratuity till the regular PPO is issued," the Minister stated.

As per the OM (Office Memorandum) issued by the Department of Pensions, affiliated to the Ministry of Personnel, the payment of Provisional Pension will initially continue for a period of six months from the date of retirement and the period of Provisional Pension may be further extended up to one year in exceptional cases. These instructions shall also be applicable in cases where a government servant retires otherwise than on superannuation i.e. voluntary retirement, retirement under FR 56, etc.

Vide another circular, the Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare (DOPPW) has directed all offices maintaining GPF (General Provident Fund) Accounts to 'complete all credit entries including accruing interest to the employees two years before retirement and then one year before retirement so that Provident Fund is also paid accurately in time'.

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