Centre introduces amendments to Pension Rules with revised benefits only applicable for retirees retiring after implementation date; eligibility determined by date of retirement.
Pensioners who retired before Central Pay Commission recommendations will no longer qualify for revised benefits; only those retiring post-Pay Commission report are eligible for these changes, with government having full authority over when to implement its recommendations.
On Tuesday, amendments proposed by the government to revise Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules were passed through the Lok Sabha despite opposition protests and walkouts by opposition lawmakers who objected to amending these rules without including them within a Financial Bill. Once passed by Rajya Sabha as well, these changes to pension rules will come into force.
The government will set the date and implement the principles and methods proposed by the Pay Commission’s recommendations regarding pension revision. Furthermore, they have authority to classify and decide eligibility of pensioners.
Kerala MP N K Premachandran raised a point of order in the Lok Sabha to criticise this move and stated it was unacceptable to deny millions of pensioners their entitlement through backdoor legislation. Another Kerala MP K C Venugopal demanded the government clarify their intent behind changing pension rules to discriminate between pensioners.
The Central Government asserts that retrospective Pay Commission benefits have long been a matter of debate among pensioners, and pointed out that various courts have taken differing positions on this matter, necessitating further clarification.
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