Pension directorate of Uttarkanya under Troubled Waters

Manas Banerjee, SNS, Siliguri: The branch of the pension directorate at Uttarkanya is acutely understaffed, while officials presently working there are under tremendous political pressure to release the PPO (pension payment order) for pensioners across north Bengal.

The pension directorate, the latest addition to the branch secretariat here, was scheduled to be inaugurated on 1 August last year, but it was finally opened by chief minister Mamata Banerjee on 1 September.

Since its inauguration, officials of the department have been able to issue only one PPO (in the last week of October last), and that too, after a “terrific fight,” just to obey instructions from higher authorities, it is learnt.

Staff members of the pension directorate branch found that the printer, which was officially supplied by a reputed company here following the order of the state authorities, was faulty. The machine is yet to be replaced, despite several reminders.It may be noted that after the inauguration of the branch secretariat, several departmental officials here gradually found that several machines, including printers, computers and other materials were delivered from branded companies, but that they were, in fact, assembled and low cost gadgets, according to sources. Officials have been frequently facing problems in operating them and have been filing complaints with service providers. Despite the problems, the branch of the pension directorate has managed a new printer and readied around 100 PPOs just before Uttarkanya marks its first anniversary and before chief minister visits Uttarkanya on 19 January. The branch has also not yet received funds, particularly the contingency fund, to meet up for other official expenses, including installation of the base telephone.Officials further faced problems in sending the PPOs by post due to lack of an official contract with the postal department. Sources said the problem will be sorted out soon.

Although many posts have been sanctioned for the branch, five are still lying vacant.

There is no post for a deputy to the joint director who could carry out the work in the absence of the boss. Notably, the pension directorate is handling pension files of retired persons associated with primary and secondary schools, panchayats, municipalities and libraries. Till the second week of January this year, it had received around 435 files. It has also received files of candidates who are retiring in February this year. Of them, over 90 PPOs have been readied by the directorate, it is learnt.

Officials have also detected that some files of several candidates, who retired two years ago, have reached the branch due to delay in district level, mainly in the education department.

Such candidates from Cooch Behar outnumber candidates from other districts of north Bengal.