Summary of this article
Class-III pensioners will get 30 per cent arrears in October.
Class-I and II pensioners will receive 15 per cent arrears.
Government has directed departments to clear medical reimbursement claims.
Himachal Pradesh pensioners will receive a part of their pending pension arrears in October, with the payment varying according to their employee category and retirement period.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced the payment plan during a meeting with the Himachal Pradesh Pensioners' Joint Front on Monday, according to a PTI report. The state government has also been considering another instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) for employees and pensioners.
Class-III Pensioners To Get 30 Per Cent
Class-III pensioners will receive 30 per cent of their pension arrears in October, according to the announcement. Class-I and Class-II pensioners who retired between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2022, will receive 15 per cent of their pension arrears during the same month.
The state government has been releasing financial benefits to government employees and pensioners in instalments. The latest announcement has specified the proportion of arrears that different categories of pensioners will receive in October.
The government has also been addressing other pending issues raised by pensioners, including medical reimbursement claims.
Medical Reimbursement Claims To Be Cleared
The chief minister has directed all government departments to clear pending medical reimbursement claims of pensioners. The government has already cleared arrears for pensioners above 65 years of age.
For pensioners waiting for medical reimbursements, the latest directions mean departments have to process outstanding claims. The government has not provided a specific timeline for completing all pending reimbursement cases.
The state government has also been considering the release of another DA instalment. DA is provided to government employees and pensioners to account for changes in living costs.
Government Restores Old Pension Scheme
During the meeting, Sukhu also referred to the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for state government employees.
The state government has restored the scheme for its employees, under which eligible employees can receive pension benefits after retirement based on applicable rules. The chief minister has also addressed concerns raised by pensioners and employees over pending financial benefits and other issues.
The latest announcement has provided different arrears payments based on pensioner categories and retirement dates. Class-III pensioners will receive 30 per cent of their arrears in October, while eligible Class-I and Class-II pensioners will receive 15 per cent.
The state government has not provided details on when the remaining pension arrears for these categories will be paid.
