October 18, 2004
The Chief Executive Officer
All Agency Banks
(As per list attached)
Dear Sir,
Scheme for Payment of Pension to Defence Pensioners by Public Sector Banks-
Delay in Submission of Pension Payment Scrolls and Steps to avoid Fake &
Fraudulent Payments
It has been reported by the Office of the Principal Controller
of Defence Accounts (Pension), Allahabad that there is a lag of two to three
months in submitting the pension payment scrolls to them by the Pension Paying
Banks. Often these scrolls are bunched. In this connection, a reference is invited
to paragraphs 9(6), 10 and 11 of the booklet "Scheme for Payment of Pension
to Defence Pensioners" wherein the procedure for transmission of pension
payment scrolls by Paying branches, Link branches and Reimbursing branches is
clearly stipulated. The entire procedure needs to be completed as per the timeframe
fixed so that the the payment scrolls are finally received at the Office of
the PCDA (Pension), Allahabad latest by 15th of the following month
(except for the month of March scrolls, which should invariably reach latest
by 3rd week of April every year).
2. It has been observed that despite the clear instructions,
the stipulated time schedule is not adhered to by the banks. Office of the PCDA
(Pension) has also noticed that in some cases of payment of gratuity and commutation
amount were made to imposters on fake and fraudulent PPOs by the Pension Paying
branches without observing prescribed checks. It has also been observed that
in the cases of First Payment of Pension, either PPO numbers were not mentioned
on the scrolls or incorrect PPO numbers were mentioned making it difficult to
verify the correctness of the payment. Further, these payments were being shown
in the main pension payment scrolls along with the regular monthly payments
of Defence Pensioners.
3. Ministry of Defence (Finance) has stipulated certain budgetary
commitments regarding booking of budgetary allocation from the Finance Year
2004-2005. With a view to meeting such budgetary commitments by PCDA (Pension),
the Pension Paying Branches/ Link Branches / Reimbursing branches are advised
to put in place a more efficient system to ensure the following :
( i ) Pension Paying branches to submit pension payment scrolls
to Link Branches within the stipulated time (by 10th of the following
month). No bunching of scrolls be done.
(ii) Link branches to forward the original copy of the scroll
along with summary sheet and summary documents to Disbursing Banks (RBI / SBI
etc. as the case may be) by 11th of each month.
(iii) Reimbursing banks should forward the original copy of
the scrolls directly to CDA (Pension), Allahabad after reimbursing Pension Paying
Bank, by debit to Government Account so as to reach PCDA (Pension) by 15th
of the following month except for the March scrolls.
(iv) In the cases of First Payments of Pension, pension paying
branches should prepare scrolls carefully indicating correct PPO number, amount
of gratuity and commutation
against the name of each pensioner and submit the same separately
on a monthly basis in addition to the regular monthly payment cases which will
continue to be prepared separately along with separate
summary sheet.
( iv ) Pension paying branches should prepare separate summary
sheets for regular monthly pension payment cases as well as first pension payment
case.
4. Please advise your Defence pension paying branches suitably
in the matter.
Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
(M. T. Varghese)
General Manager