Review family
pension rules
Sir,
I appreciate the
News item dated 24/01/2002 bringing into the
limelight the apathy and Woes of deceased
Government employees dependent family members in
the J&K State. The much awaited orders
relating to the enhancement of ceiling of Income
from Rs. 500.00 for determining the dependency
and the eligibility of the pension to the family
members of deceased Government servant as issued
by the Govt. of India on the recommendation of
fifth pay Commission are not being followed by
the State Government for the reasons best known
to them. The granting or declining of the benefit
by the Government is a secondary issue as the
Finance Department (Codes Section) responsible
for initiating and examination of such Orders is
sleeping over it and has not brought it to the
notice of Government so far despite the lapse of
considerable time. The delay in issue of such
orders compound the hardships of the dependent
family members as for meager amount of income
above Rs. 500 are forced to lose the legitimate
family pension. The Current max. ceiling of Rs.
1500 as fixed by the Government of India is in
itself not logical as e.g for a income of say Rs.
1600 i.e for excess of only Rs. 100 over the
maximum amount of limit, a supporting amount of
enhanced family pension otherwise admissible @ 50
percent and normal family pension 30 percent of
last pay, to one's family is not entitled. Their
seems to be no rationality as such, in depriving
the family member, whole of family pension for a
excess of even Rs. 1 over limit.
The Government
should consider a slab system in granting family
pension with respect to the last pay of the
deceased government Servant taking into account
also the Income of their family members. Family
pension w.r.t the slab of varying income should
be granted at different rates i.e for higher
income, the dependent family members be allowed a
lower percentage of family Pension instead of
ruling it out completely, as inadmissible. The
rule is very funny as the dependency is only once
determined at the time of firstgranting family
pension and subsequent increase over the limit
over minimum income subsequently has no barring
on the admissibility of family pension granted
once of the dependents. The Income certificate is
never called for by the Govt. after grant at
family pension to check it in future. The sudden
and quantum increase in the Max limit as if
announced by the State Govt, from the present
limit of Rs. 500 to 1500 on a cut out date can
also be not termed as logical or justified. The
spirit of such rule should be smooth and self
detrimental.
Instead of raising
the maximum amount of limit for determining
admissibility of dependency etc from time to time
the following can be considered.
a) It can be
linked to some percentage of the total of Minimum
Basic pay in Government service and the amount of
DA due together etc on a specific date. It would
then not involve any exercise for notifying
regularly the change in the Max limit of Income
or
b) With the grant
of every change in DA rates the Govt should
notify also the Max limit for dependency at
regular intervals. The increase in Fair Index of
Prices as such would be always taken into account
and the leap jumps can be avoided.
The second order
discussed in the bid news item is also very
important and it would be providing relief to all
the Spouses viz wives and husbands of the
deceased Government employees who are re-employed
and get only one DA i.e either on Pay or Pension.
This order of admissibility of the DA on both the
Pension as well as Pay to the working Spouse i.e
widows and widowers has been effective from
18.07.1997 but in our State it is yet to be
considered, again it is only because of the
casual approach of the codes department section
in not bringing it to the notice of Government.
I on behalf of the
deceased government employees family members
would invite the kind attention of the high-ups
to give a look to the family pension rules
governing the State Government Employees. The
Government should look afresh into the above
deficiencies and broaden their visions while
deciding. I would request the authorities to at
least consider the spirit of my expressions if
not the proposal.
Yours etc...
A H Khan
RAC Gandhi Nagar
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