By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 20: A total of 85 long-pending pension cases were taken up for review during a Pension Adalat organised jointly by the Principal Accountant General (A&E), Meghalaya, Shillong, and the Finance (Pension Cell) Department at the Basic Training Centre, Malki, Shillong.
The initiative was aimed at addressing and resolving long-pending pension-related grievances of retired government employees in a time-bound and transparent manner.
The event saw the participation of Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs), pensioners and officials responsible for pension processing. Each case was thoroughly examined, with document verification conducted in the presence of the concerned stakeholders.
During the Pension Adalat, guidance was extended to Finance Department officials and DDOs on interpreting and applying the relevant Pension Rules. A number of long-pending cases were successfully resolved during the session.
However, some cases remained unresolved due to the inability to trace legitimate claimants, despite repeated follow-ups. These cases will be treated as closed, pending formal approval from the Finance Department.
A major issue that emerged during the Pension Adalat was the delay in pension settlement caused by the non-submission of nomination forms by employees during their service. The absence of these essential documents had led to avoidable complications.
The Principal Accountant General has, meanwhile, stressed the need for preventive measures and recommended that the Finance Department direct all DDOs to mandatorily collect nomination forms from government employees well before their retirement.