Pension disputes: Centre releases fresh instructions to resolve concerns of pensioners  

The Central government has released instructions for all relevant departments in addressing concerns raised by pensioners, mandating that all complaints be resolved within a span of 21 days, irrespective of their affiliation with a specific office. 

Currently, complaints are submitted through a unified online platform known as the Centralised Pension Grievances Redress and Monitoring System (CPENGRAMS), regardless of the department to which they are directed. As per the guidelines stipulated by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, it is imperative for all departments to promptly and effectively address and resolve grievances.

"Ministries/departments should strive to redress the pensioners' grievances within 21 days. In the cases, where redressal of the grievances requires longer time, an interim reply may be furnished on the portal," one of the instructions of the comprehensive guidelines stated.

The notification stated all ministries and departments must redress grievances within 21 days. They should furnish an ‘interim reply’ on CPENGARMS if it requires more time.

The grievance shall be redressed under 'whole of the government approach', it said.

In no case, grievance shall be closed summarily by stating, 'it does not pertain to this office', the statement said.

The grievance shall not be closed without its conclusive redressal and the Action Taken Report (ATR) should be filled in with the supporting information and documents at the time of closure of grievance, it added.

Top points

The notification stated:

· No grievance is to be closed with the remark ‘It does not pertain to this office’.

· They must conclusively redress the grievances and file an Action Taken Report (ATR).

· They must review the pending grievances monthly and ensure timely closure.

· The designated nodal officers must observe and analyse the causes of grievances or their trends.

· If the complaint is filed with a ministry or department offline, it must be uploaded to CPENGRAMS to effectively monitor and redress them within the prescribed time limit.

· If a grievance is resolved or closed but the applicant is not satisfied, the complainant can file an appeal within 30 days of the closure. As per the guidelines, the appellate authority will dispose of the appeal within 30 days.

In a recent update, the ministry shared information on its efforts to address pending grievances. The objective is to improve monitoring systems and document organization to reduce backlog. Additionally, the ministry is streamlining procedures to better assist pensioners.

As of October 16, 2024, a total of 3,676 grievances have been resolved out of 8,260 cases. The process of identifying physical files for disposal has been finished, and all grievances referred by parliamentary members have been successfully resolved.

(With PTI inputs)