Haryana to disburse pension through e-Pension System

by Haryananewswire (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, SEPT 15

The Haryana Government has decided to implement e-Pension System to disburse pension of all those pensioners and family pensioners of the state who start drawing their pension on or after August 1, 2012.

        While giving this information here today, Haryana Finance Minister, Mr. Harmohinder Singh Chattha said that for all other pensioners or family pensioners, who were already drawing pension through the existing system, the scheme would be extended in a phased manner as decided by the Finance Department from time to time.

He said that as per the new system for pensioners or family pensioners, the Principal Accountant General, Haryana while issuing PPO to the District Treasury Officer would mention on the PPO itself the bank account details and particular branch of the bank where the pensioner wants its pension to be credited. However, the pensioner  would be free to change bank details in future, if he so desires, he added.

The Minister said that the pensioner or family pensioner was free to opt for any empanelled bank with core banking facility and providing RTGS, NEFT and ECS facility for transfer and receipt of funds through Electronic Payment System. The bank branch could be situated anywhere in India. The bank account would be a savings account operated singly by the account holder and should not be allowed to be operated upon by another person by virtue of a power of attorney executed in his favour. Such account should not be a Joint or either of survivor account except for the case that in case of Pension such Joint account can be opened by the pensioner with his or her spouse in whose favour an authorization for family pension exists in the Pension Payment Order (PPO). The joint account of the pensioner would be operated subject to the terms and conditions as mentioned by the Haryana Finance Department. Such facility would not be available in case of family pension. A certificate issued by the bank branch in this regard would be required to be submitted by the pensioners to the Treasury Officer at the time of presenting his pension claim for the first time. Similar certificate would be required if there was change in bank details in future, he added.

Mr. Chattha said that the treasury would also obtain an undertaking from the pensioner that excess payment credited to his or her account, due to delay in receipt of any material information or any bonafide error by bank or the treasury or Pension Disbursement Cell could be recovered by the bank. Such an undertaking would be taken by the concerned treasury at the time of presentation of pension claim for the first time. He said that the Treasury Officer would deliver pensioner's half of the PPO to the pensioner and disburser's half would be kept at treasury in same manner as already being done. A scanned copy of the PPO would be made available online. Pensioners half would be delivered to pensioner after necessary formalities have been completed for payment of pension in future. A pensioner was also required to produce his personal copy of letter of Principal Accountant General, Haryana forwarding PPO to Treasury Officer.

Mr. Chattha said that no bill would be required to be submitted by the pensioner for drawing pension every month. The pension would be paid by the Treasury or Pension Disbursement Cell (PDC) after deduction of tax by electronic transfer of the amount to the bank account of the pensioner. The amount would be so credited on the first working day of the following month for which pension was payable. If in exceptional cases the pension payment could not be credited on the first working day, it must be ensured that it was credited as soon, there after as possible, and in any case not later than the seventh of the following month for which pension was due.

He said that certificates to be furnished by the pensioners in Treasury or Sub Treasury included Life Certificate, Non Employment Certificate and Non marriage-remarriage Certificate, irrespective of the fact as to from where he had received the first pension, at such intervals as provided in existing rules. He said that all such certificates received by Treasury or Sub Treasury would be scanned and uploaded in the Online System. In case such a certificate was furnished in a Treasury or Sub Treasury other than the one where its PPO was kept on record, the original of these certificates would be sent to the said Treasury on monthly basis by such Treasury or Sub Treasury.

Mr. Chattha said that the Pensioners could get his half PPO updated from any Treasury or Sub Treasury any time. However, it was essential that the PPO was presented for updating personally by the Pensioner at least once in a period of six months. In case the Pensioner cannot be so present then he could send a person duly authorized for this purpose on a form E-2 specified for this. Such a form could either be downloaded from the e-pension website or collected from any Treasury or Sub Treasury. Validity of such form would be for a period of 15 days from date of downloading. He said that all other provisions or procedures in relation to these pensioners would be the same as applicable to pensioners drawing pension directly from Treasury before the launch of the e-Pension system.