Assam govt to impose fine for delay in pension disbursal to retired staff
Guwahati, May 19
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday that the state government has introduced a stricter accountability framework to ensure timely disbursal of pensions to retired government employees, including financial penalties for officials responsible for undue delays in pension processing.
Sharing the development in a post on social media platform X, the Chief Minister noted that retired government employees had played a vital role in Assam's development and deserved dignity and respect in their post-retirement life.
"Our retired employees have contributed richly to Assam's progress. It is their right to receive timely pension. To achieve this, we're enforcing an accountability framework, which also imposes a penalty on those responsible for delays. Our pensioners deserve respect and dignity," Chief Minister Sarma said.
The announcement came after the Administrative Reforms, Training, Pension and Public Grievances Department issued a notification introducing penalty provisions for delays in pension processing.
According to the notification, penalties will be imposed on Heads of Offices (HOOs) if pension cases are found to be unduly delayed in violation of the timelines and standard operating procedures prescribed by the government.
Officials said a list of delayed pension cases would now be generated every month through the Kritagyata portal and circulated among concerned departments, district commissioners and senior departmental secretaries for monitoring and action.
The notification also said that financial recovery would be made at the rate of Rs 250 per day from officials responsible for delays at different stages of pension processing, subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs 5,000.
The recovery amount will reportedly be deducted directly through the FinAssam portal from the salary bills of the concerned officials and reflected in the following month's salary statement.
The order also directed Drawing and Disbursing Officers to ensure implementation of the recovery provisions and furnish details of such recoveries to the Administrative Reforms, Training, Pension and Public Grievances Department.
Officials said the new mechanism aims to improve administrative efficiency and strengthen accountability in government offices while ensuring that pensioners receive their dues without unnecessary delays.
The notification has come into force with immediate effect.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Sounds good on paper, but what about the pensioners in remote areas who can't even access the Kritagyata portal? The government should also ensure that banks in rural Assam process pension payments on time. Too often, the delay happens at the bank level, not just in the departments. Still, a welcome step forward. 👍
As a retired Assam Police officer, this brings me hope. For years, we've been treated as an afterthought. But I have a small concern: the Rs 5,000 max penalty seems too low for senior officers who cause months of delay. For them, Rs 5,000 is like pocket change. Maybe escalate the fine for repeated offenders. Still, better than nothing! 😊
This is a much-needed move. My uncle in Dibrugarh waited 18 months for his pension after retirement. The bureaucracy there is notorious for such delays. The monthly list generation through Kritagyata is a smart way to keep tabs on delinquent officials. I just hope the CM's office follows up regularly, otherwise these notifications mean nothing. ✨
Good intentions but poorly thought out. What happens if the delay is due to genuine reasons like missing documents from the pensioner's side? Will the HOO still be penalized? The government should also train the lower-level staff on the FinAssam portal properly. Half the time, delays happen because clerks don't know how to use the system. 🤔
As someone working in the Assam government, I can tell you that the real problem is not just officials delaying things -
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