*Directives issued 10 yrs back not being followed strictly
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 18: The ‘financial indiscipline’ on the part of large number of Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) and other functionaries despite repeated directions from the Finance Department is creating impediments in speedy disposal of the pension cases, which otherwise remains one of the top priorities of the Governor N N Vohra.
Now, the Government has once again come up with fresh directives on the subject whereby it has been made obligatory on the part of DDOs and Head of Departments to send the pension papers to the Accountant General six months before the month of retirement of any employee.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that pay fixation of employees at the time of grade revisions, functional/in-situ promotions is not being effected correctly resulting into excess drawls of amount from the treasury. As a result of which, at the time of retirement while verifying the pay fixation, the Accountant General affects recovery of excess amount from pensionary benefits like gratuity etc.
Feeling aggrieved the affected pensioners seek the refuge of Article 242 of J&K CSRs through court thereby dragging Accountant General/Finance Department in litigations and this results into undue burden on the State exchequer.
Keeping all these aspects in mind, the Finance Department vide Circular No.A/60(78)-194 dated February 14, 2005 had requested the Financial Commissioners, Principal Secretaries, Commissioner Secretaries and Secretaries of all the Administrative Departments to issue necessary instructions to the HoDs/DDOs to get the pay fixation of the employees checked/verified by the Audit parties of the Accountant General/Director Audit Inspections by providing service books and related record for obtaining verification certificate on the service book of each employee.
It was also directed through this circular that preferences shall be given to employees who are to retire within next three to four years. Moreover, there was also a directive that in case audit of the office was not expected in near future the service records of such employees may be sent to Audit office for verification so that excess amount if drawn is recovered before the superannuation of the employees.
More importantly, it was explicitly conveyed through the circular of 2005 that in case the Accountant General points out recovery of any amount in future from the retiree after April 30, 2005, the concerned Head of the Department/DDOs shall be responsible. Even the Financial Advisors/Chief Account Officers were directed to exercise proper check to ensure financial discipline and manage retirement list of employees for three years with requisite certificate from DDOs of the departments.
“However, these directions are not being adhered strictly despite lapse of more than one decade and the casualty of slackness on the part of concerned authorities is timely disposal of pension cases”, sources said, adding “the practice of Accountant General effecting recovery of the amount from pensionary benefits in cases where the retirees have drawn excess salary is continuing unabated. Moreover, this is also causing undue financial hardships to such employees”.
According to the sources, the Accountant General has brought to the notice of the Government that instead of the persons committing the mistake in pay fixation and getting service record timely verified, the pensioners suffer and the departmental authorities actually responsible for incorrect fixation of pay are not being held accountable despite clear-cut directions, which otherwise call for action against the erring Government servants.
“He has specifically mentioned the cases of Class IV and non-gazetted cadre by stating that such approach in the matter makes this particular category of employees to suffer by way of huge recoveries”, sources said, adding “due to non-adherence to the directives of 2005 the basic policy of the Government to ensure that a pensioner gets his pension as soon as he retires is getting thwarted”.
On the directions of the Governor, the Finance Department has once again enjoined upon the Administrative Secretaries of the departments to impress upon all the DDOs under their control to adhere to the circular instructions issued from time to time in letter and spirit.
They have also been asked to ensure that pension papers are sent to the Accountant General six months before the month of retirement of the employees.
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