IESM: Stupendous Service rendered by Pension Cell

Date: Thursday, 24 September, 2009, 5:14 PM
Dear Adm Barin,
This is real 'sharp' and smart follow up, indeed. I am most impressed and grateful. Have seen Gp Capt Phatak's outstanding contributions earlier also on the IESM blog. He is ever so positive, prompt and dedicated. My compliments and grateful thanks to him also.
We shall fall back on his support and expertise, as advised/ required. Having invoked your intervention, Barin, I was confident that we will get somewhere.
Thanks again.
Warm regards
Gen Yogi Sharma
Lt Gen YN Sharma, Former Army Commander

Date: Thursday, 24 September, 2009, 6:07 PM
Dear All,
I visited my bank located at Shankarshet Road, Pune on invitation by the Branch Manager to check whether the arrears chart received from HO of Bank of Maharashtra is correct. It was to my surprise (horror) that I found that in cases of 7 defence pensioners at my branch, BOM HO has once again made a mistake by authorising 60% arrears on the basis of GOI letter dated 1 Sep 08 which was issued for civilian pensioners and not for Armed Forces. Earlier BOM had made similar mistake while paying initial instalment of arrears and I had promptly brought this to their notice. This is obviously universal mistake committed in all cases of Armed Forces pensioners getting pension through BOM in a typical EDP environment. I am visiting HO of BOM tomorrow to get this rectified immediately. In the meantime I have asked my bank to credit whatever is authorised as interim payment.
This is to be published widely because many Officers/widows/PBORs will be affected at the hands of BOM.
Gp Capt SS Phatak(retd)
(Keep the up the good work Gp Capt Pathak of IESM Pension Cell. We all are proud of you - Chander Kamboj)

Date: Tuesday, 22 September, 2009, 9:44 PM
Dear Sir,
I visited Central Pension Processing Cell(CPPC) of SBI this morning, located in Tower2, 6th Floor at CBD Belapur Rly station complex, dealing with the cases from Maharashtra and GOA. It is headed by Mrs Tanuja Indi as Chief Manager and assisted by AGM Mr Bhosale and other staff of 25 officers and junior staff. The procedure followed by CPPC is as follows:-

Mail is received by the dak clerk

It is divided in two lots (a)for unactioned PPOs, (b)Corr PPOs.

All letters then are handed over to 6 officers designated for each type depending on work load.

Each junior officer scrutinises each letter and then internal payment proforma is raised calculating fixation of pension and arrears thereon upto 31 Aug 08.

Once authorised by respective six officers, data is fed to computer (core banking) and amount credited.

Post 01 Sep 08 arrears are then calculated automatically which amounts to release of 60% authorised now.

While talking to Mrs Indi she insisted that she acts upon any GOI/PCDA letters if received from her HO and not from other agencies like ours. While talking to few officers I found that they are not aware of the concept of pro- rata pension when quilifying service is less than 33 years. The confusion about TS and S still remains in respect of Lt Cols and equivalent ranks. PPOs issued by DCDA (AF) are defective to that extent.

Following basic documents are a must from pension coming through his pension paying branch(PDA):-

Copy of PPO fixing pension as on 1 Jan 1996

Proof of qualifying service- ie date of commision and date of retirement

proof of age for additional pension,if applicable

Pension account no

Branch code and address.

If everything is in order credit is given instantaneously by feeding relevant data and cross checked for correctness. I had carried about 12 cases and except for one all other cases credit was given immediately. In short, attested documentary evidence for every claim is very essential. I returned this evening fully satisfied and conveyed to each one of them their respective arrears figures.
regards,
Gp Capt SS Phatak (Retd), Pension Cell IESM