RBE No.33/2022 Retirement Benefits – Non-payment/ Delay in Payment

No.D-43/43/2020-F(E)III, dated 22.03.2022

Sub: Non-payment/ Delay in payment of retirement benefits on account of delay in verification of Caste Certificate in respect of retiring employees – regarding.

1. A copy of Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare’s (DOP&PW) OM No.38/09(02)/2020-P&PW(A)(6721), dated 30th November, 2021 is enclosed herewith, which shall apply mutatis mutandis on the Railways. Rule 9 and Rule 69 of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 correspond to Rule 9 and Rule 10 of Railway Services (Pension) Rules, 1993 respectively.

2. As desired by DOP&PW in para of their OM dated 30.11.2021, a Quarterly Report may be furnished in the enclosed pro forma to Board’s Office starting with the quarter ended on 31.12.2021. The report may be submitted before 07th of the next month of the completed quarter. In case, there are nil cases, a ‘NIL’ report be sent.

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, PG & Pensions,

Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare

OM No.38/09(02)/2020-P&PW(A) (6721), 30.11.2021

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub: Non-payment/ Delay in payment of retirement benefits on account of delay in verification of caste certificate in respect of retiring employees – Regarding.

1. The undersigned is directed to say that instructions/ orders have been issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) from time to time for timely intimation/ completion of verification of caste certificate of the employees. In spite of these instructions, completion of verification of caste certificate is inordinately delayed and, in many cases, the verification is not completed even till the retirement of the employee and pensioner/ retirement benefits of such employees are not released till the completion of verification of caste certificate.

2. This issue has also been raised before the Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes and the Committee has taken as serious note of the same. The Committee has directed to sensitize the concerned Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations about the need for timely completion of verification of caste certificate and also for timely release of pensioner benefits to the employees in respect of whom verification of caste certificate is delayed due to administrative reasons or lapse.

3. The matter has been examined in this Department. In accordance with Rule 9 and Rule 69 of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, a provisional pension may be sanctioned to an employee against whom any departmental or judicial proceedings are pending at the time of retirement. In that case, no gratuity shall be paid till the conclusion of the departmental of judicial proceeding and issue of final orders thereon. The Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 or instructions/ guidelines issued by this Department, however, do not provide for withholding of the retirement benefits under any other circumstances, including on account of pending verification of caste status of the employee.

4. All the Ministries/ Departments are, therefore, advised to ensure that the verification of caste certificate of employees is completed expeditiously and, in any case, well before the date of their superannuation, in accordance with the instructions issued by the Department of Personnel & Training. Unless departmental or judicial are pending against a retiring employee, the pensionary/ retirement benefits of the retiring employee should not be withheld or delayed on the ground of pendency of verification of caste certificate.

5. All the Ministries/ Departments are also advised to bring these instructions to the notice of the attached/ subordinate offices under their administrative control for strict compliance.

6. All the Ministries/ Departments are directed to submit a quarterly report on number of employees whose pensionary benefits has been withheld due to reason other than pending administrative or judicial proceedings and the reasons thereof.

Proforma for Quarterly Report on the details of the retired railway employees whose pensionary benefits have been withheld or delayed on the ground of pendency of verification of caste certificate i.e., due to the reasons other than pending administrative or judicial proceeding:

S. No.	Name and Designation of the Retiree	Date of Retirement	Reasons for withholding or delaying the grant of pensionary benefits

Download Railway Board Circular RBE No.33/2022