Central govt staff pension rules changed

Bhubaneswar: Good news for Central government employees. The Centre has brought the Central Civil Services (Pension) Second Amendment Rules, 2019, which will be effective from October 1, 2019.

According to the amendment to the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, families of government employees dying after serving less than seven years will get enhanced pension. Even with less than seven years of service of a Central government staff, families of the person, in case of death, will get enhanced family pension. The new amended rules have got the approval from President Ram Nath Kovind.

Earlier, a government employee had to render at least seven years of service, so that family could get the enhanced family pension at 50 per cent of the last pay drawn in case of the person’s death.

The move is likely to especially benefit the widows of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel.

“Whereof a government servant who died within ten years before the 1st day of October, 2019, without completing, continuous service of seven years, his family shall be eligible for family pension at enhanced rates in accordance with sub-rule (3) with effect from the 1st day of October, 2019, subject to fulfilment of other conditions for grant of family pension,” according to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions statement.

“For the purpose of death gratuity, the final amount of the death gratuity shall be determined by the Head of Office on the acceptance and verification of the entire spell of service by him within a period of six months from the date on which the authority for the payment of provisional death gratuity was issued and the balance, if any, becoming payable as a result of determination of the final amount of death gratuity shall then be authorised to the beneficiaries,” it said.

“The government has, therefore, amended Rule 54 of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 by a notification dated 19th September, 2019. As per the amended Rule 54, the family of a government servant, who dies within seven years of joining service, will also be eligible for family pension at enhanced rate of 50 per cent of last pay drawn, for a period of 10 years,” it said.

“However, the families of government servants who died before completion of service of seven years within 10 years before 1st October, 2019, will also be eligible for family pension at enhanced rates with effect from 1st October, 2019,” it added.