SCPC: Family Pension and Arrears denied by Banks

Anguish of Widows: Will the ESM Welfare Organisations take up cudgels to assist them?
Dear Sir,
The following matter may please be published in your blog and the readers may be requested to help the poor widows to get their arrears. The Banks are not at all listening to our claim. There is no meaning in issuing orders, when it is not implemented in the right spirit. Some strong action to be taken against the Banks in this regard.

The SBI had centralised all pension payment to state headquarters. The pensioners are unable to approach the HQs. They continue to pay less pension. We have sent a number of representations to SBI CPPC, Chennai. No reply is coming and at the same time they are not correcting the pension also.

Some action has to be taken on All India level through IESM Sir. Please think it over. The arrears calculation for a Lt Col is easy the banks are doing immediately. At the same time, the arrears calculation for a Special Family pension, (PBOR) the Banks are telling that they do not know or they have not received the orders etc.

This matter is to be given top priority to increase our membership Sir. Please do some thing.
With kind regards.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
C Muthukrishnan (Ex Sgt)
Blog: indianexserviceman.blogspot.com

REVISION OF MINIMUM SPECIAL FAMILY PENSION & PAYMENT OF ARREARS (WIDOWS OF SEPOYS, NAIKS & HAVILDARS)
The minimum Special Family Pension was increased from Rs.2,550 to Rs.7,000/- as per PCDA (P) Most Important Circular No.410 dt.13.05.09 para 4.2. In the meantime the Banks have revised the existing Special Family Pension of Rs.2,550 into Rs.5,763 as per the tables attached to MOD letter dated 11.11.08 and calculated arrears from 01.01.06 to 31.08.08 for 32 months and paid 40 % arrears during Sep 08/Oct 08 and awaiting to pay the remaining 60% arrears on getting instructions from the Government.

The earlier MOD letter dt.11.11.08, which authorized revision of pension of Pre-2006 pensioners did not specify the amount of minimum Special Family Pension. Therefore, pending the revision of the Special Family Pension, the existing Pre-2006 rates of Special Family Pension was consolidated as per para 4.1 of the MOD letter dt.11.11.08 and as per the tables in Annexure I attached to MOD letter dt.11.11.08, the pre-2006 Special Family Pension was revised to Rs.5,763 (Annexure I Page.9) and arrears calculated up to Aug 08 and 40% arrears was paid and thereafter the consolidated revised rates of Special Family pension is being paid.

In the circumstances, the MOD letter dt.04.05.09 (Para 4.2) and PCDA(P) Allahabad, Important Circular No.410 (Para 4.2) revised the minimum Special Family Pension from Rs.2,550 to Rs.7,000/- w.e.f. 01.01.2006. It has therefore become necessary to re-calculate the arrears payable from 01.01.2006 to 31.08.2008 at the new rate of Rs.7,000/- w.e.f. 01.01.06 and pay the additional arrears on 40% immediately and recalculated 60% arrears to be paid later.

In order to arrive at the correct arrears amount, a separate calculation has been made for such cases which can be followed. The re-calculation to be made in two parts. One from 01.01.06 to 30.8.08 for arriving at the additional 40% arrears payable immediately and the other part from 01.09.08 to 30.06.09 to arrive at the arrears of pension payable as a result of revision of Special Family Pension from Rs.2,550 to Rs.7,000/-.

As result of the increase in the minimum Special Family pension from Rs.2,550 to Rs.7,000/- each eligible Special Family pensioner i.e. widows of Sepoys, Naiks and Havildars & equivalent ranks will get additional 40% arrears of Rs.16,848 and arrears in difference in pension payable up to 30.6.09 Rs.14,790, thus a total of Rs.31,638/- have to be paid immediately.

A detailed working sheet is inserted. Please click for the Arrears working Sheet and get it printed and present it to your bank after filling in your particulars for immediate payment.

The MOD letter revising the minimum Special Family Pension to Rs.7,000/- was issued on 4.5.09 and the implementation instructions were issued by the CDA(P) Allahabad through their important circular No.410 on 13.5.09. It is more than two months passed, none of the Banks have made any attempt to re-calculate and revise the pension of these poor widows.

It is unfortunate that none of the welfare associations come forward to help these widows to get their revised pension and arrears. While very big organizations fight for increased pensionary benefits, but they fail to monitor the implementation of the existing little benefits to the poor PBOR families. I have seen, when the Lt Cols Pay & Pension were revised, lot of e-mails, calculation sheets were floated all over the net for immediate payment. But in the case of PBOR pension calculations, all are silent. This is not a good attitude of ESM Welfare organizations.

The membership of an organization cannot be increased without meeting the affected people/ pensioners face to face and doing justice to them. This is very important.

The Author of Blog indianexserviceman.blogspot.com, with his own efforts and with the help of one dedicated member, was instrumental in getting arrears to the tune of Rs One crore during the past 10 years to poor PBOR pensioners and increased the membership of the Association to more than 3000.

Of course, it was a great struggle to build the Association for the past 10 years. But due to the influence of some vested interests with selfish motivation, the sacrifices done by the honest workers in the past are not remembered and ultimately, the general welfare of the whole community is paralyzed again. Only God can save the PBORs and their families.