Pension after age 80 yrs etc Wg.Cdr. K.V.Lakshminarayanan

lakshmi narayanan wrote

Dear Vidyadhar,

This is for the info. of our pensioners, particularly octogenarians amongst us. It also shows how indifferent the babudom is, in matters relating to pensioners.

My pension, until recently, was as per PPO issued by PCDA, Allahabad in 2009. This, PPO was based on MOD letter dated 21 Aug. 2009, which in turn was based on GOI, Ministry of Personnel, Public grievances & pensions ((Dept. of.pensions and pensioners welfare) OM dated 15 Sep. 2008. This communication provided for additional pension for pensioners of age 80 years and more, as percentages of RESTORED PENSION. I was getting this additional old age pension on this basis.
Subsequently, thanks to this medium of communication, I came to know that the Ministry of Personnel Public grievances &pensions had issued another OM on 19th Jan.2010, which amended the additional pension for octogenarians to percentages of FULL PENSION and not RESTORED PENSION.

Somewhat optimistically, I contacted PCDA office, Allahabad to take note of this change and as I am an affected pensioner, requested that my PPO should be accordingly amended.
Not unexpectedly, I got a reply that they will take action only after they get a communication from MOD.
Now I started to wake up the sleeping Ministry. After some informal efforts, I wrote a formal letter. with no results. I contacted my active friend L G Subramanian and also ex-colleague Col.Malhotra. Eventually Malhotra who contacted MOD babus, who were, I guess, beginning to feel the heat of impending tribunal proceedings, promised to take action thereon.

On 11th May, this year, I left for US to be with my children. Till then, I had not received any communication on this matter.

When I returned from the US by end August and looked at my accumulated mail, I was pleasantly surprised to see a communication from PCDA office containing a new PPO dated 21 April 2011 incorporating the amendment to old age pension. The PPO dated 21 April, did'nt reach me till 10th May!! I was not in the country to act thereupon!!

The matter does not end there. Immediately after my return, I contacted my bank, IOB, which is generally friendly, and enquired about the additional pension as per the latest PPO. They were totally innocent about the PPO!. I raised my decibel level. I showed my latest PPO dated 21 April and they took a copy and started working feverishly on the additional dues to me . I do not know whether the bank or Postal dept. or Allahabad is responsible for the hip-up on the last lap!!

Alls well that ends well !! There is a saying which can be translated as "even if God grants a boon, it is the Poojari who delivers it "

My prayers for col. Malhotra's fast recovery.

Wg.Cdr. K.V.Lakshminarayanan