Simultaneous issue of orders for the release of Dearness Allowances: Issue taken as agenda by DPPW in the SCOVA meeting
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions published an order yesterday regarding the four new agenda items will be discussed in the meeting of Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies (SCOCA) under the Chairmanship on 3.2.2015.
The four fresh agenda points are given below…
1. Simultaneous issue of orders for the release of Dearness Allowances:
Based on the rise in Consumer Price Index, Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief are granted to serving employees and pensioners respectively with effect from 1st January and 1st July each year. The orders sanctioning DA are issued by the Finance Ministry and the orders sanctioning DR are issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions after the same. While serving employees get the increase in cash after a couple of days from the date of issue of Office Memorandum, the pensioners get it after some days since the issue of O.M, for DR needs to be further approved by Department of Expenditure and CAG. As the payment of DA and DR is being made from the Consolidated Fund of India, the issuance of separate orders for the grant of DA and DR could be unnecessary.
2. Co-authorisation of Family Pension of permanently disabled children/dependent parents and permanently disabled siblings
As a policy initiative of DoPPW, the CPAO vide its O.M no. CPAO/Tech/Simplification/2013-14/252 dated 06.02.2014 allowed co-authorisation
of family pension of permanently disabled’ children/dependent parents and permanently disabled siblings. A similar benefit may be considered by Department of Defence and Ministry of Railways to its pensioners.
3. Non-adherence of extant rules with regard to submission of life certificate
Despite clear instructions from the Ministry of Finance,vide CPAO/Tech/Grievances/2010-11/531 dated 30.06.2011, it has been reported that some’ banks branches are insisting on personal appearance of pensioners for submission of life certificates along with PPOs. The extant rules now exempt personal appearance and the prescribed form is to be signed by any of the persons specified therein.The pensioners thus got put to untoward hardship in addition to stress and strain which could have been avoided. As such, Department of Financial Services is requested to take necessary steps to get the instructions complied with strictly without fail.
4. Provision of CGHS facility for life time to dependent disabled/mentally retarded children of Central Government Employees/Pensioners
a) In the “Definition of Family” under CGH_S,furnished in Ministry of Health & FW O.M. No. 3T-1/2009-C&P/CGHS (P) dated 23-2-2011, daughter as indicated at 51 No.5(ii) can avail the benefits till she starts earning or gets married irrespective of the age-limit, where as son indicated at 51. No. 5(iii) of the list, suffering from any permanent Physical/Mental disability is entitled to avail the facility “irrespective of age- limit”, and son’s marital status may not result in denial of CGHS facility to him ,in as much as there is no mention of marital status in the definition, unlike the definition at 51.5 (i) On the other hand, daughter suffering from any permanent disability (physical disability or mental retardation) loses the facility if she gets married as per the definition at 51. (5)(ii). Hence, the case of a physically disabled/mentally retarded daughter needs to be considered for extension of CGHS facility “irrespective of age-limit, even after her marriage” .
b) Further under CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, by an amendment to explanations 1 and 3 after Sub-rule 6 of Rule 54, as communicated vide Department of Pension & PW’O.M. No. 1/33/2012-P&PW(E) dated 16-1-2013, mentally /physically disabled children have been allowed to continue to draw family pension even after their marriage thereby removing the condition of marital status for continued drawal of family pension.
c) Thus on the analogy of pension rules, mentally/physically disabled children (both son and daughter) of Central Government Employees/Pensioners may be allowed to continue to avail CGHS facilities even after their marriage by removing the condition of marital status now existing in respect of daughters only. The “definition of family” under CGHS would need to modified suitably.
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