Clear all papers on the day of superannuation: Gauhati High Court

Post-retirement benefits

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has spelt it out that "pensions, gratuities etc., aren't government's gift but dues of employees" for the career-long services they have rendered, and any delay in making payment of their dues goes against the spirit of the Constitution.

Hearing a writ petition of an aggrieved retired employee filed in the Court in 2018, the High Court has advised the State government to ensure that all post-retirement dues of an employee like pension, gratuity etc., are paid on the day of superannuation. The Bench comprising Justice Ajit Barthakur says that the timely payment of post-retirement dues to an employee is a must so as to ensure him/her a dignified living.

If any employee is having loan deduction issue or other charges against him/her, the Court said that such problems should be sorted out well before the day of retirement. Any delay in making all records ready for a retiring employee before his/her superannuation smacks of the "lack of department-employee coordination".

Many a time, retired employees have to run from pillar to post to get their records ready. They often submit incomplete records, and the practice of under-the-table deals is there. All such hiccups make a retired employee bear the brunt of the lack of a streamlined system in the clearance of pension dues.

According to official sources, in accordance with the standing Rule (7/2012/8-A) of the Directorate of Pension and Public Grievances, if an employee has no loans or any other complaints against him/her, he/she should get all post-retirement dues on the date of his retirement. Even after that, there are employees who have to wait for months to get their dues.

According to sources, the major hurdles lie in the fact that the employees have to submit a whole lot of documents, especially records for loan deductions to get his/her pension cleared. In the event of the employee's job being a transferable one, loan-deduction records have to be obtained from various districts, and that's a marathon work.

This apart, many employees do not keep records ready during their service periods due to negligence or ignorance; and that makes the problem more difficult.

To get out of this mess, it is imperative on the part of the government to follow a simple and streamlined single-window clearance all of pension papers. All pension documents that go to the AG (Accountant General) office are cleared instantly and sent to the Directorate of Pension where "problems of all hues crop up".

Of late, the department has launched a pilot project— 'Kritagyata'— to ensure clearance of all papers relating to post-retirement benefits on the date of retirement. It has covered a section of teachers and panchayat employees under its fold, but rest of the employees are outside its purview. They have to bear the brunt of the messy situation.

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