The Panel will review pending pension cases on a bi-monthly basis and issue monthly performance reports on each ministry’s adherence to timelines.
The Committee has also been entrusted with the responsibility of suggesting improvements in the procedure or technological upgrade and integration of the Bhavishya portal, an online tracking of pension sanction and payment process by the individual as well as the administrative authorities.
A similar monitoring mechanism is also to be introduced in all ministries and departments, which will nominate nodal officers for streamlining pension processing.
The ministries and departments have been further instructed to set time-bound targets for the digitisation of service records and 100 per cent adoption of e-HRMS (Human Resource Management System) and digitisation of service books.
Under the Pension Mitra arrangement, each retiring employee will be paired with a Welfare Officer, to be deputed by the head of the department, to facilitate complete pension documentation and formalities.
“He/she shall also be responsible for handholding the dependents for documentation and verification in the event of the death of the pensioner while submitting the claim for family pension. A separate circular delineating the roles and responsibilities of the Welfare Officer will be issued by DoPPW subsequently,” read the guidelines.
One of the key objectives to bring out the guidelines is to put a system in place so that PPOs are issued at least two months before an employee’s retirement date.
It has also made it clear that ministries and departments would ensure vigilance clearance is issued within three months prior to retirement.