FAQs on Implementation of OROP vide Govt. Order dated 17.01.2013

Q: 1 Are these orders applicable to those pensioners also whose date of commencement of pension is exactly 01.01.2006 ?
A: Yes, these orders are applicable to all the pensioners/family pensioners whose date of commencement of pension is on or before 01.01.2006.
Q: 2 The date of commencement of family pension in respect of a family pensioner is 01.04.2006 whose late husband had retired from the service on 31.08.1999. Will the family pension of the family be revised under these orders?
A: Yes, the family pension will be revised under these orders because the deceased soldier was a pre-2006 retiree.
Q: 3 It is being contended by some pensioners/their associations that the arrears on account of this revision should be paid w.e.f. 01.01.2006 as the orders are merely an amendment to GOI, MoD letter dated 11.11.2008. Please clarify?
A: As the provision of these orders are effective from 24the September 2012. Hence no arrears shall be allowed for the past period.
Q:4 Will the additional pension also be revised accordingly ?
A: The improved pension will be the basic pension from 24.09.2012 and hence additional pension payable will also be revised accordingly by the PDA.
Q:5 The basic pension of a pre-2006 pensioner (Rank - Havildar , Group ‘D’) of Army having total qualifying service of 15 years is slated to be increased from 3500/- p.m. to 5301/- P.M. Is such a high increase in Basic Pension is in order?
A: The increase in BP from 3500/- to 5301/- P.M for the pensioner with particulars as mentioned above is in order. It is evident from the existing basic pension of 3500/-PM and the particulars given above that the PDA has not revised pension of the individual correctly w.e.f. 01.07.2009. The correct entitlement of the individual is as under:
Basic Pension w.e.f. :

Date	Amount (Rs.)PM	Ciruclar No.
01.01.2006	3500/-	397
01.07.2009	4635/-	430
24.09.2012	5301/-	501

Q:6 In most of the cases neither the pensioner has applied to the PDA for revision of their pension nor any Corr PPO or instructions have been received by the PDA from the PSA. Please supply the proforma of application in this regard?
A: It has been clearly mentioned in the orders that the revision of pension by PDAs has to be made with reference to Pension Tables annexed to the orders. No further authorization from the PSA or any application from the affected pensioner is required to carry out the revision.
Q:7 The tables annexed to circular No 501 & Circular No. 502 start from QS of 15 years onwards. How to revise the pension of a pensioner having less than 15 years if qualifying years?
A: Following elements of pension / type of pension are to be revised by PSA.

• Special Pension
• Invalid pension
• Service element of disability pension in respect of PBOR discharged with less than 15 years qualifying service
• Service pension of TA personnel irrespective of their QS service and
• Service element of War Injury Pension and Liberalized Disability Pension

Q:8 Mr. ‘X’ who is a Hony Nb Sub, Gp ‘D’ pensioner having total QS of 24 years is already drawing a basic pension of 7750/- PM. However as per table – 4 (Army) annexued to Cir No 501, his basic pension w.e.f. 24.9.12 should be 7601/- PM. Please advise how to regulate such cases.
A: The existing pension of the pensioner in such cases might have been revised by PCDA (P) by issuing Corr PPO (s) based on some courts orders etc. No action by PDA is required in such cases.
Q:9 Mr ‘X’ is a DSC pensioner in receipt of two pensions, one for regular Army service, and another for DSC service. Are both these pensions to be revised by PDAs?
A: The pension for regular Army service will only be revised under these orders by the PDA. A reference for revision of pension for DSC service will be sent to PCDA (P).
Q:10 The tables annexed to Circular No 501, in respect of DSC pensioner seem to be incomplete e.g. the table in respect of Sep of DSC are only up to QS of 23 years. How to revise pension of a sep of DSC who has total QS of 24 years or above?
A: Sepoy in DSC have maximum engagement period up to 20 years only with the exception that the maximum term of engagement can be up to 23 years in case of pensioner retired on or 30.5.98. Hence QS in such type of cases may be restricted to the maximum permissible and pension revised accordingly. Period-wise complete list of maximum terms of engagement for JCOs/ORs is enclosed in Appendix-X to Cir No 501.
Q:11 There is no table annexed to Cir No 502 to revise Ordinary Family Pension for NOKs of DSC Personnel. Please advise how to revise such cases ?
A: The family pension in respect of DSC personnel who are in receipt of family pension for only DSC service are to be revised at the same rates as given for family pensioners of Regular Army. DSC personnel on “clerical duty” and “other duty” are entitled for family pension of regular Army personnel of group “Y” and “Z” respectively.
Q:12 What are the basic fields/data required to revise pension under these order?
A: The basic fields/data required to revise pension under these orders are as follows:

1. Type of pension viz Retiring pension/service pension/ Ordinary Family Pension/ Special Family Pension/ War Injury Pension/ Dependant Pension
2. Rank of the pensioner
3. Group of the pensioner (only for JCOs / PBORs)
4. Qualifying service (without weightage)
5. Record Office
6. Date of commencement
7. Date of Retiremen

Q :13 How to look for the above information in the PPO or related record ?
A: In case of Post -86 retires all the information is generally available in the original PPO of the Pensioner. In cases where the required information is not available in the PPO or other record of the PDA, the missing information may be called for from the PSA concerned.
Q:14 In case of Pre-86 retires Qualifying service is generally not available in the PPO of the pensioner. Pl. advise the way out to regulate such cases.
A: The qualifying service in such type of cases can be looked for in the original Descriptive Roll of the pensioner or in the Corrigendum PPO(s). Original discharge book/certificate issued to the pensioner by the Record office is also an authentic source of such information.
Q:15 Is capturing of information about Record office financially importance or can be done away with?
A: Following are the 4 major categories of JCOs/PBORs based on Record office.

1. Naval Record Office
2. Air Force Record Office
3. DSC Cannanore Record Office
4. All other Record offices except those mentioned above.
   
   Different tables are available to cater to these categories and hence the importance of information about Record Office can’t be done away with.

CLARIFICATION ON HOSTEL SUBSIDY

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR CLARIFICATION FOR HOSTEL SUBSIDY FOR CHILDREN OF ARMED FORCES. 

MoD ‘inclined’ to correct rank pay inconsistencies: Air Chief

                       
Chandigarh, April 11
While pointing out that the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict in the rank pay case pertaining to the IV Pay Commission meet the aspirations and the expectations of the affected officers only partially, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, has said the Ministry of Defence “appeared inclined” to accept the services’ view on the shortcomings in the government orders.

In his reply to a letter written to him by a retired officer on the subject, the Air Chief, who is also Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, has stated that a detailed note is being prepared by the MoD for seeking the views of the Solicitor General. Further, a committee is also being set up to crystallise the problem definition and the views of the stakeholders. A series of meetings have been held between service representatives and officials of the MoD over the past three months, where the said inconsistencies were discussed in detail. The actual fixation of pay scales and problems thereof have also been submitted to the MoD, which in turn has sought the comments of the Controller General of Defence Accounts, Ministry of Finance and the Legal Attache (Defence) on the issues raised. According to the chief’s letter, the implementation order has restricted the benefits by making the court order effective only for those officers who held the rank of flight lieutenant and equivalent as on January 1, 1986. This meant that officers promoted to the rank of flight lieutenant and equivalent after this date would not be covered by the order even though the apex court judgment implied at the benefits were applicable “with effect from” January 1986.Further, the integrated pay scale of the Fourth Pay Commission (FPC) and the minimum pay for each rank have not been amended, which means that there would be two types of pay scales for the same rank and seniority. The basic pay ceiling of Rs 5,100 prescribed by the FPC has not been amended. 
(Source - The Tribune)       

Seventh pay panel to meet ex-servicemen's aspirations: Army chief

General Bikram Singh

Barrackpore (W B): Conceding that the current pension benefits for the country's ex-servicemen are not sufficient, army chief General Bikram Singh on Sunday said he would try to ensure their aspirations and requirements are fulfilled when the Seventh Pay Commission comes up. "I am deeply involved in meeting aspirations and requirements of ex-servicemen. I know that currently what you are getting is not enough. But you know about the current financial conditions in the whole world. So, taking into account the condition of the government's coffers, we have to deal with it," Gen Singh said while speaking at a mega ex-servicemen's rally here.

"However, I can assure you that when the Seventh Pay Commission will be set up and the economic conditions will start improving, all your aspirations and requirements would be included in it," he said.

About 10,000 ex-servicemen, war veterans, disabled soldiers and war widows (veer naris) were present on the occasion. The Army chief said he had taken up the issue of pension benefits with the central government for the welfare of the ex-servicemen.

Lauding the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government for supporting the army on welfare issues, he said it was giving "full support" for the re-employment of ex-servicemen. "I would like to inform you that the Indian Army is getting full support from the West Bengal government. When I met the chief minister earlier, then I saw her love and concern for the Army," he said.

Gen. Singh said the army would set up old-age homes for ex-servicemen in every command across the country. "We are opening old-age homes in every command. We are currently experimenting in Chandigarh, where the first old-age home was built," he added.

(Source- ZEE News)

PENAL INTEREST FOR DELAY IN PAYMENT OF ARREARS TO PENSIONERS

THE RBI HAS ALREADY ISSUED THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS FOR PAYMENT OF INTEREST FOR DELAY IN PAYMENT OF PENSION , ARREARS ETC.

Pension Payment to Central/ State Govt. Pensioners by Agency Banks-Delay

(Ref.DO.No.CSD.CO/8793/13.01.001/2009-10 dated April 09, 2010, DGBA.GAD.No.H- 46/45.01.001/2010-11 dated July 2, 2010 and DGBA.GAD.No.H- 6212 & 6213/45.01.001/2010-11 dated March 11, 2011)

Reserve Bank of India is receiving several complaints from the pensioners alleging inordinate delay in disbursing the revised pension and arrears. Position was reviewed by RBI and the agency banks have been instructed as under:
i) Pension paying banks should compensate the pensioner for the delay in crediting the pension/ arrears thereof by paying compensation at Bank Rate plus 2% penal interest for the delay after the due date and the compensation shall be credited to the pensioner's account automatically without any claim from the pensioner on the same day when the bank affords credit for revised pension/ pension arrears, in respect of all delayed pension payments made since October 1, 2008.
ii) Pension paying banks have been requested to put in place a mechanism to obtain immediately the copies of pension orders from the pension paying authorities directly and make payments without waiting for receipt of instructions from RBI so that pensioners should get the benefits announced by the Governments in the succeeding month's pension payment itself.
iii) System of attending to customer service including pension payments may be reviewed.
iv) The branch continues to be a point of referral for the pensioner lest he/she feel disenfranchised.
v) All branches having pension accounts should guide and assist the pensioners in all their dealings with the bank
vi) Suitable arrangements are made to place the arithmetic and other details  about  the  pension  calculations  on the web, to be made available to the pensioners through the net or at the branches at periodic interval as may be necessary and sufficient advertisement  is made about such arrangements
vii)   All claims for agency commission in respect of pension payments must be  accompanied  by a  certificate from E.D./ CGM- in-Charge of Government business in case of SBI and its  Associate Banks that there are no pension arrears to be credited /delays in crediting regular pension/arrears thereof.
----

THEREFORE, ALL THE PENSIONERS ARE REQUESTED TO WRITE TO THEIR CONCERNED BANK TO PAY THE INTEREST AS THEY HAVE NOT DEPOSITED THE NEW PENSION AS WELL AS ARREARS OF OROP.