Centre to fast-track redressal of grievances on pension disbursement

New Delhi: The Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO) has accepted the Parliamentary Committee's recommendation on reducing the period of redressal of complaints related to pension disbursement from 60 days to 45 days.

The period for redressing the pension-related complaints of those above 80 years of age and those availing family pension would be reduced to 30 days.

The pension department has informed the parliamentary committee that required changes would be made in the CPENGRAMS portal which receives complaints connected with pension disbursement. (CPENGRAMS stands for Centralized Pension Grievances Redress And Monitoring System.)

The committee had earlier expressed its displeasure over the delay in redressing the complaints of pensioners.

Many ministries and departments are not adhering to a 60-day period for disposing of complaints, it said.

About 20 per cent of complaints are not being disposed of in a time-bound manner.

The committee has also recommended setting up of social audit panels for examining the sectors which receive the maximum number of complaints.

The parliamentary panel has also recommended the appointment of Pension Ombudsman for resolving complaints related to pension disbursement on the lines of Banking Ombudsman.

Ensure action on issues reported in newspapers: Panel

The Parliamentary committee has directed the Central Administrative Reforms Department to prepare a list of the ministries which have not yet set up a mechanism for taking action on complaints that are reported in newspapers.

The committee pointed out that many times the complaints and grievances of the marginalized sections are brought out by the newspapers. Hence, the department should ensure that a system is put in place through which the complaints are examined and follow-up action is initiated to resolve the issue.

The committee reminded the administrative reforms department that an order was issued in 2016 itself for setting up a similar system.

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