I am here sharing a detailed article in connection with updates on the Restoration of Pension for Family Pension Cases in Punjab. You will read in detail the history of pension, family pension since 1954. You will know about the various amendments in family pension during the history as well as restoration of pension/commute.
Restoration of Pension for Family Pension Cases
Family Pension
Family Pension – This was not admissible before the introduction of the Pension-cum-Gratuity Scheme 1954. If and when the serving (or retired) government died, the family was left on its own. Article 354 of the Civil Service Regulation specified that “it being the duty of every government servant himself to provide for his family, the government recognizes no claim by a widow on account of service of her husband”. Even recommendations for this were discouraged/disapproved as the government was under the painful duty of rejecting such recommendations.
Pension-cum-Gratuity Scheme 1954
The said Article 354 was later amended to include the phrase “except under the Pension-cum-Gratuity Scheme 1954”. This Scheme was introduced on 24 March 1954 and envisaged that some amount will be admissible to the entitled family member in the event of death of the government servant after certain years of service, and/or within certain years of retirement. The government servants opting for this scheme agreed to surrender 25% of their gross pension.
Numerous Amendments in Pension Scheme
Numerous amendments have been made to the scheme over the last about 68 years. Significant amendments include a family pension for life (instead of for certain years) for the widow and unmarried/divorced / widow daughters, disabled sons, and parents. The family pension was raised from 50% of the title of a deceased government servant to 75% from 1.7.2010. Full 100% was allowed to the family in the event of death during service. Family pension is now shared equally by more than equally placed family members (it was earlier admissible only to the elder family member, and in the event of being no longer admissible to that elder member, was allowed to the next elder family member).
Concept of Restoration of Pension
There was no concept of restoration of surrendered/commuted part of the pension. The government servant was allowed gratuity / commuted value on the clear understanding that the surrender/commutation was a final irreversible act. The government modified its stance in 1985 and allowed restoration of pension upon expiry of the period for which surrender/commutation value was received by the pensioner.
Restoration of Family Pension
Restoration of family pension was not included for another 9 years in the orders from 1985 onward which dealt with restoration. The pay scale revision orders for 1994 however extended the benefit of restoration of family pension. Para 8 of O.M. No.1(2)-Imp/94(i), dated 15-6-1994 issued by the Finance Division provided that relief allowed from 1.6.1994 will include “Restoration of commuted value/gratuity portion of families on completion of the required period” to widows, dependents, retarded and incapacitated children and invalid pensioners. Identically- worded orders were subsequently issued by all provincial governments also.
An old note existed in the West Pakistan Pension Rules. That rule said that restoration benefit is not admissible to family pension cases where the government servant had died during service. Some provincial Accountants General somehow stuck to that note and initially did not allow restoration benefits in death-during-service family pension cases. However, the Sindh and KPK governments finally allowed the benefit. The Punjab Finance Department however agreed with the Accountant General Punjab’s contention that restoration of surrendered/commuted pension is still not admissible in family pension cases where the government servant died during service.
Point of View of the Author
The author is not in a position to guess the number of family pensioners to whom the benefit is still being denied by the Punjab government. This is to invite all of them to get in touch with me so that concerted efforts may be made for getting the benefit of restoration.
Numbers and dates of issue of relevant orders by various governments are not given in this article. Those can be provided to the viewers who ask me over Whatsapp [No.0300-9800246] or through email at my address [email protected] for numbers and dates of the reference or would like to have copies of relevant orders.
Agha Amir, 0300-9800246, [email protected]
