Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare has launched a campaign on easing rules during Special Campaign 2.0.

A statement released by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, on Thursday said, “The department 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  2nd October 2022 to 31st October 2022. Parameters for the Special Campaign include a number of rules/processes identified for simplification.“

“The department has issued thirty such Notifications/Circulars during the month of October 2022 in SCDPM 2.0,” it further said in the statement.

The decisions taken under the campaign: 

The department has ordered to hike in the dearness relief from 34% to 38%. It has simplified rule 8 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021, delegating thereby authority to decide disciplinary matters of Central Government Employees after their retirement.

The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare has also given various instructions to simplify the rules and processes under  Special Campaign 2.0. which are below:

• It has given instructions related to a maximum ceiling of contribution under the General Provident Fund during the financial year.
• Instructions related to counting past service and treatment of service as qualifying service for pensionary benefits.
• Instruction related to grant of gratuity, nomination for payment of gratuity, and payment of interest on delayed payment of pension/family pension/gratuity.
• Instructions relating to different provisions of the grant of pension under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021, including limitation of pension, invalidation, compulsory retirement, dismissal/removal from service, and effect of future good conduct on pension.

What is the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare?

The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare administers pension-related policy matters with respect to Central Government civil employees. This Department has also been entrusted with work related to pensioners’ welfare.

In order to ensure timely payment of pensionary benefits to retired Government servants/family members and to enhance the “Ease of living” of pensioners after their retirement, this Department simplifies rules and issues guidelines/instructions to Ministries/Departments, Pension disbursing banks, etc.