Why are people getting less pension – are you one of them?

In a bizarre case that exposes the malaise and insensitivity in the bureaucratic system towards senior citizens, Kshama Sharma, 86-year-old widow of Late Satya Pal Sharma, IPS-1956, former DGP Bihar, who died in 1990, was drawing one and a half times less family pension than what she was entitled to.

She was blissfully unaware that her Family Pension had been wrongly fixed during the 6th & 7th Central Pay Commissions (CPCs), and the Additional Pension for 80 – 85 year old was also not sanctioned.

This practice continued till the matter came to the attention of the Forum of Retired IPS Officers (FORIPSO), which took up the case and started sending letters to the AG/TO/Bank and also filed a complaint on the PMO Portal.

The strategy paid off. She received whopping arrears of Rs 44,51,424 pending for almost two decades, without going to court. FORIPSO is now working to get her 8% pay penal interest p.a. for the delay in release of pension/ arrears, which works out to Rs 55,268 as per RBI Master Circular.

Similarly, 90-year-old Nirmal Chhabra, the wife of Late K.L. Chhabra, IPS-1951, a UP cadre officer who died in 1979 during service as DIG Lucknow, too, was found to be drawing less Family Pension both in the 6th and 7th CPC. She eventually received arrears of Rs 19,11,638 relating to the 7th CPC when the matter was reported to the AG and the PMO portal. She is now awaiting the 6th CPC arrears, amounting to about Rs 7 lakhs, which are still due.

In a similar case, 85 years old Bhanumathi Natarajan, the widow of Late N. Natarajan, IPS-1959 who died in 2014 was found to be drawing much lesser family pension under the 7th CPC till the Forum of Retired IPS Officers (FORIPSO) took up cudgels on her behalf and sent letters to the AG/PPO/Bank, resulting in rectification of pension. She has since received arrears of Rs 2,60,271.

In yet another case, C.P. Giri, IPS-1979, former ADGP Nagaland, was running from pillar to post in spite of his 7th CPC pension being revised by AG, Nagaland in 2018. The stumbling block was SBI-CPPC, Kolkata, which was not prepared to honour the commitment made by the AG. This is when Secretary, FORIPSO, lodged a complaint with the PMO and the SBI Chairman. As a result, SBI not only apologised but also released the arrears of Rs 8,18,280 within a week. Another instalment of Rs 29,001 was released thereafter. The bank has also, in principle, agreed and is processing the file to release another payment of Rs 97,000 towards @ 8% penal interest mandated by the RBI.

Likewise, even R.H. Mendonca, IPS-1968, former DGP Maharashtra, was among the list of people drawing a lesser pension than they deserved in the 7th CPC. He is now expecting to get arrears worth Rs 4,86,542 after the Secretary, FORIPSO, filed a complaint on the PMO Portal.    

Shikoh Zafar, S/o Late Mr. Zafar Ibrahim, IPS-1959, ex-DGP Bihar, is another such success story. He not only got his father’s arrears amounting to Rs 3,73,774 and additional pension beyond 80 years, which was not sanctioned.

Yet another example of bureaucratic apathy is Anil Pradhan, IPS-1977, who was made to retire as ADG Meghalaya on 31 July 2011, and his junior was promoted as DG, bypassing him without any reason. Secretary, FORIPSO, took up his case with the Chief Secretary and the State Government, who immediately granted him the DG’s scale without any hitch. As a result, he got hefty arrears for 6 years.  

Some of the other cases of wrong fixation of pension resolved or expected to be decided at the administrative level without the need to go to the court include:

Alem, IPS-1979, former DGP, Nagaland, was getting the wrong pension till the FORIPSO sent his case to the Chief Secretary and AG, Nagaland. As a result, he was paid arrears amounting to Rs 14 lakhs.

Similarly, his batchmate K. Kire, IPS-1979, Nagaland, received an arrear of Rs 14 lakhs.

Likewise, N.N. Walling, IPS-1975-Nagaland, is expecting arrears amounting to over Rs 4.28 lakhs.  

Kum Kum Ray, the widow of Late Dr. R.U.Ray, IPS-1974, former DGP, UP, was drawing a pension wrongly fixed by the 6th and 7th CPC. Her case is pending with the PMO Portal.          

Likewise, former DGP West Bengal Anil Kumar Gupta, IPS-1972, was drawing a pension wrongly fixed in both the 6th and 7th CPC. His case has been sent to the concerned authorities for rectification of arrears amounting to Rs 8,56,741, and a favourable resolution is expected soon.

There are many such cases where pensioners are getting less pension than what they are entitled to. But not even a single case where a pensioner is getting more than their entitlement.

The reason behind this is fairly obvious. Pension officials are ignorant of the rules and prefer to play it safe to escape responsibility and accountability to save their skin. Resultantly, they inflict gross injustice on the pensioners and family pensioners, most of whom are unaware of the rules.

According to former DGP Bihar and Secretary Forum of Retired IPS Officers (FORIPSO), J.K. Khanna, at least 4% of the pensioners are being taken for a ride. If you apply this percentage to the 68 lakh pensioners in the country, it could mean almost 3 lakh pensioners are getting less than their dues. And who is the gainer? Obviously, the Government. “This amounts to immoral enrichment of the Government at the cost of pensioners and senior citizens”, he says.