State introduces SOP for timely pension processing

MP, 1 Oct 2024, Kolkata: The state government has introduced a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure the timely processing of pension cases for employees of government-aided colleges and day students’ homes under the Higher Education Department. 

According to the SOP, college authorities must prepare an employee’s pension profile within one month of receiving their application. As per the SOP, employees are required to submit their application to the college principal 12 months before their retirement date. 

The college must then prepare and submit the employee profile on the e-pension portal 11 months before the superannuation of the employee, completing this task within one month. 

Specific timelines have been set for other steps in the pension processing procedure, ensuring that an employee’s pension papers will get submitted to the Accountant General (AG), West Bengal, at least three months before the date of superannuation. 

If any college authority fails to comply with the SOP, appropriate action will be taken against the college in accordance with existing laws. 

The memorandum notifying the SOP highlights the state government’s commitment to the effective and timely disposal of pension cases. It notes that delays in pension payments have previously resulted in the state having to pay interest, as mandated by judicial orders, which burdens the state exchequer. 

The memorandum also cites a Supreme Court (SC) judgment dated March 17, 2023, in which SC observed that the right to pensionary benefits is a constitutional right and cannot be taken away without proper justification. 

The grant of pensionary benefits is not a bounty but a right of the employee and cannot be denied without proper justification. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/state-introduces-sop-for-timely-pension-processing-581598