Guwahati: The Assam government has introduced a penalty mechanism against officials responsible for delays in processing pension cases, in a move aimed at ensuring timely disbursal of pension benefits to retired employees.
Announcing the decision, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said retired government employees had contributed significantly to the state’s development and deserved to receive their pensions with “respect and dignity”.
“Our retired employees have contributed richly to Assam’s progress. It is their right to receive a timely pension. To achieve this, we’re enforcing an accountability framework, which also imposes a penalty on those responsible for delays,” Sarma said.
According to a notification issued by the Administrative Reforms Training Pension and Public Grievances Department, penalties will be imposed on Heads of Offices (HOOs) if pension cases are delayed beyond the timelines prescribed by the government.
Under the new provisions, a monthly list of delayed pension cases will be generated through the Kritagyata portal and shared with departments, District Commissioners and senior officials concerned.
The notification stated that financial recovery would be made at the rate of Rs 250 per day, subject to a maximum penalty of Rs 5,000, from officials found responsible for delays at different stages of pension processing. The amount will be deducted directly from salary bills through the FinAssam portal.
The government has directed Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) to implement the recovery mechanism and submit details of deductions to the concerned department.
Officials said the order, which has come into immediate effect, was aimed at strengthening accountability and ensuring strict adherence to pension processing timelines.
The move also reiterates earlier government instructions issued in 2003, under which departments were required to initiate pension formalities two years before retirement and submit completed pension papers at least six months prior to the date of superannuation.
The earlier office memorandum had highlighted the difficulties faced by retired employees due to delays in pension disbursal and warned that administrative lapses could lead to interest liabilities and disciplinary action against responsible officials.