Guwahati, May 20: The Assam government has announced a strict new policy regarding the timely distribution of pensions to retired employees. Under this new system, officials responsible for delays or negligence in pension disbursement will face penalties. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared this information on social media platform ‘X’ on Tuesday.
He emphasized that retired employees have made significant contributions to the development of Assam and that receiving their pensions on time is their right. “Our retired employees have played a crucial role in Assam’s progress. Timely pension is their right. To ensure this, we are implementing a new accountability system that includes penalties for delays. Our pensioners deserve respect and dignity,” he stated.
This announcement follows a new notification issued by the Department of Administrative Reforms, Training, Pension, and Public Grievances. According to the new system, if the resolution of pension cases does not adhere to the stipulated timelines and government standards, action will be taken against the concerned officials.
Officials noted that a list of pending and delayed pension cases will now be prepared monthly through the ‘Gratitude Portal.’ This list will be sent to the relevant departments, district commissioners, and senior officials to ensure monitoring and action.
The ‘Gratitude Portal’ is an online pension approval and payment tracking system initiated by the Assam government for retired employees and pensioners.
As per the new notification, officials responsible for delays at various stages of the pension process will incur a daily penalty of ₹250, with a maximum limit set at ₹5,000. The government clarified that this amount will be directly deducted from the respective official’s salary, using the FinAssam portal, with deductions reflected in the next month’s salary statement. This is part of Assam government’s integrated financial management system.
The order instructs Drawing and Disbursing Officers to ensure that the recovery process is implemented correctly and that complete information is sent to the Department of Administrative Reforms, Training, Pension, and Public Grievances.
Government officials stated that the aim of this new system is to enhance accountability in government offices, expedite administrative processes, and ensure that pensioners receive their rightful dues without any hassle. This new policy has been implemented with immediate effect.
Deependra Singh Chundawat is a Senior Sub-Editor at Udaipur Kiran, specializing in a wide range of technology topics including mobile phones, applications, gaming, PCs, and wearables. Along with covering the latest tech news, he also creates engaging web stories. Passionate about emerging technologies, he stays up to date with the newest trends and enjoys reading and writing about the latest mobile launches and digital innovations.
