Pension process goes digital, delays set to shrink

Ballari: The Karnataka govt is set to fully digitise the pension settlement process in the next two to three months, allowing pensioners to download Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) online and submit them directly to the treasury, deputy accountant general (pension division) Sachin Krishna Kaushik said on Friday.

The move aims to cut delays and end the need for retired govt employees to visit multiple offices for pension services, he said while inaugurating a pension adalat and awareness programme jointly organised by the accountant general’s office and the treasury department in Ballari.

Kaushik said pension clearance, which earlier took several months, is now being streamlined, with efforts to settle cases within 30 to 45 days.

He said only 15 original cases and 221 departmental cases were pending as of April 1. Around 9,000 new cases were received later in the month, while nearly 30,000 pension cases were disposed of over the past month.

Despite a 50% staff shortage, officials worked on weekends to clear pending files, he added.

Under the proposed digital system, pensioners can access PPOs online, avoiding delays caused by physical dispatch through speed post.

Kaushik also said pension adalats, usually held in Nov and Dec in Ballari and Kalaburagi divisions, were conducted earlier this year to fast-track delayed cases, with authorities targeting disposal within 15 days.

District Govt Retired Employees’ Association president Malleshappa alleged pension approvals often took six months to a year despite timely submissions. He urged the govt to simplify procedures, including life certificate submission, and sought separate bank counters for pensioners to help elderly beneficiaries avoid long queues.

Officials assured that grievances raised during the adalat would be addressed within a fixed timeframe.