Decentralized System for the payment of pension
This means the decentralization of the full authority to the Head of the Relevant Institute for granting pension under decentralized system.
However, the main objective of referring applications for pension of the retired officers to the Department of Pension by all government institutions before granting pension is to complete the tasks such as obtaining a pension number for the pensioner, activating first pension and payment of gratuity.
Accordingly, all the works commencing from the submission of application for pension to the Department of Pensions are performed through online system. Therefore the relevant application should be sent to the Department of Pensions in advance of the date of retirement ensuring an adequate time for taking action. Under such Sasdfgyh IOystem, it has become possible to send the officer on retirement with due respect whilst appreciating his/her service to the public and granting relevant pension on the date of retirement itself.
Instances where pension is granted under decentralized system
- Compulsory retirement (Section 2 and 17 of the Pensions Minute)
- Optional Retirement (Section 2 and 17 of the Pensions Minute)
- Retirement on medical grounds (Section 2 and 14 of the Pensions Minute)
- Sending Nurses, Family Health Workers, (Previously Midwives) , female teachers, and Women Police Constables, and Female Jailers, on retirement either on the date of reaching 50 years of age or completion of 20 years of service, whichever occurs first. (Section 2 and 14 of the Pensions Minute)
- Sending officers in judicial service on retirement (Section 2 and 25 of the Pensions Minute)
- Sending officers in three armed forces on retirement
Instances where the pension is granted under decentralized system
Provisions for this purpose have been made by Circular No. 03/2015 dated 24.04.2015, other Pension Circulars, which contain revisions to the above and Public Administration Circular No. 07/2018.
When the data pertaining to the pensioner are fully and correctly entered in the Pension Management System (PMS) by the officers in charge of the subject, the printed PD 03 application should be sent to the Department of Pensions along with following documents after getting the PD03 duly certified by the Head of Institution.
- Certified copy of the letter of retirement
- Certified copy of a Pay Slip issued within 06 months before the date of retirement
- Copy of the Letter of salary conversion ( As per P A Circular 03/2016)
- Certified copy of the Bank pass book ( This should be an individual savings account)
Pension number will be issued by the Pension Management System if it is found in the examination made on the PD03 application referred to Department of Pension that there are no defects in the application.
Then the retired officer will be informed a date and time for appearing for the interview to activate the pension. Further this calling will be informed by way of an SMS sent to the mobile of the respective person.
Activating the first pension
During the past period the pensioner was forced to visit the Department of Pension at several occasions to get the pension activated and to look for the post management activities, once the pension is activated.
Further, when the pensioner demises, the members of his/her family have also to visit again Department of Pensions to obtain their widows’ and orphans’ pension.
With a view to minimize the inconveniences caused to the pensioners avoiding such situations, Department of Pensions has taken necessary action from year 2015. Accordingly, Sathkara Piyasa process has been introduced with the aim of limiting the visit of retired officer to Department of Pension only for once after retirement and ensuring him/ her and his/ her family members all pension entitlements without difficulties.
Accordingly, the pensioner is called to Sathkara Piyasa after verifying the particulars indicated in the application for pension. Every pensioner will be given a specific date and time to come to Sathkara Piyasa and at the appointed day, there will be an officer waiting to provide relevant services.
At that occasion, the identity of the pensioner will be confirmed and accordingly the pension will be activated whilst issuing pension award, pensioner’s identity card and registering the finger marks in the meantime verifying the family particulars of the pensioner. The time taken to activate the pension through Sathkara Piyasa is nearly 02-03 weeks if the application is submitted with correct particulars. Under such process, the activation of pension has been expedited and the cost of the process has also been minimized as all computerized information is exchanged online and by SMS.
However every retired officer should visit Department of Pension once for activating his/ her pension. The documents to be brought by the officer appearing for interview are as follows.
- National Identity Card of the officer, a copy of the same and original of the certificate of birth.
- A copy of the National Identity Card and the original of the certificate of birth of spouse.
- Membership card of Widows’ and Orphans’ Pension.
- Original of the certificate of marriage or the original of the absolute order if a divorce from the spouse is in effect.
- Original of the certificate of death if the spouse has died.
- In case where the officer or spouse has previous marriages, the original of the absolute order to prove that previous marriages are not in effect or the original of the certificate of death of the spouse.
- Originals of the certificates of birth of children who are below the age of 26 years.
- If any difference is found in names, either affidavits or any other suitable documents should be submitted to confirm such differences (Only a slight difference can be covered by an affidavit. For other changes along with the inclusion of new parts to the name, it is required to revise other documents as applicable and to revise the 13 th section of the certificate of birth.)
- If there are disabled children, medical reports, clinic reports, and reports on the course of illnesses , a color photo of post card size ( Full image) , health report 307 and originals of certificate of birth should be submitted to confirm the disability has caused at birth or before reaching the age of 26 years.
- All the certificates of birth/ marriage/ death should be the originals obtained from Divisional Secretariats. (The copies issued free of charge will not be considered as originals)
All the above documents will be handed over to the officer after scanning them. If the officer has not contributed to Widows' and Orphans' Pension, it is not necessary to bring these documents and only the pensioners' identity card will be issued at such occasions.