Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 24: Retired Officers Forum has appealed Government to withdraw the fresh circular regarding personal appearance of pensioners before the concerned Treasury Officer.
In an emergency meeting of the Forum, held under the chairmanship of I D Soni, it was resolved to approach the Government for reversal of this order.
The meet observed that by issuance of such circular by Director General Accounts and Treasuries is nothing more than a cruel joke with the retirees as already such practice of pension disbursement continues for the last ten years and Banks collect Life Certificates themselves from the concerned retirees.
“What makes the DG General Accounts and Treasuries to issue such instructions of personnal parade before the concerned Treasury Officers for physical verifications is beyond our imagination. Does the DG Accounts doubt the Pension disbursing authorities that they are submitting false Life certificates to the Govt? Should this be ascertained that the one circular of Life Certificate already issued by the Govt stands withdrawn before issue of this circular?” asked Mr Soni.
The Forum said that if the DG Accounts and Treasuries is adamant to apply this circular, he should arrange to keep one gentleman of Treasury in each Branch temporarily for verification, as at present there is a crowd of retirees in Treasuries and there are only two persons to attend to these retirees.
“In light of the above, I would request the Govt to arrange for the reversal of the circular and allow pensioners to continue to submit Life Certificate to the concerned disbursing authorities as already in vogue,” he said.
Soni further said that as per the circular, the Senior Citizens above 80 years of age need not to visit Treasury and the Govt will make arrangements for sending a Govt Official at their residences for verification which is impossible as some of these category people are residing at higher hills while some of them have gone to their children and so on.
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