Tamil Nadu Government: Pongal Festival, 2013 – Grant of Pongal Prize to Pensioners / Family Pensioners and Ex-Village Officers - Orders - Issued.

GOVERNMENT OF TAMIL NADU
2013
                   
FINANCE (PENSION) DEPARTMENT
G.O.No.6,  Dated: 9th January, 2013
( Margazhi-25, Thiruvalluvar Aandu 2043)

Pongal Festival, 2013 – Grant of Pongal Prize to Pensioners / Family Pensioners and Ex-Village Officers - Orders - Issued.

Read the following:-
1. G.O.Ms.No.2, Finance (Pension) Department, dated:02.01.2012
2. G.O.Ms.No.5, Finance  (Allowances) Department, dated:9.01.2013.

ORDER: 
                                  
   The Government sanction a lumpsum Pongal Prize amount of Rs.500/- (Rupees five hundred only) to all pensioners including adhoc pensioners of all categories and family pensioners of Government including All India Service, Aided Educational Institutions, Local  Bodies and Ex-Village Officers.

   2. This order shall be applicable to all the existing pensioners / family pensioners mentioned in paragraph 1 above.  This order shall also be applicable to provisional pensioners.  The Pongal Prize amount shall not be admissible to those employees who retire on or after 09.01.2013 and to the families of those employees who die in harness on or after 09.01.2013.

   3. Those who have retired / died in harness during the period from 01.10.2011 to 08.01.2013 are not eligible for the Pongal Prize amount if they are paid Adhoc Bonus / Special Adhoc Bonus as per the orders issued in the Government Order second read above.  For this purpose, the pension disbursing officers shall obtain non-drawal certificates from the departments concerned before making payment to these pensioners.

   4. This order is not applicable to the following categories of pensioners:-

   (i) Special pensioners such as Ulema Pensioners, State Freedom Fighters Pensioners and Social Pension for Scholars and Eminent persons, etc.

   (ii) Family pensioners who are appointed on compassionate grounds if adhoc bonus / special adhoc bonus is paid to them as applicable to the employees in service.

   5. The Government also direct that the procedure indicated below be followed for disbursement of Pongal Prize amount in respect of pensioners / family pensioners coming under the Pension Pilot Scheme.

   (i) In respect of those pensioners / family pensioners to whom pension / family pension is sent by Money order at Government cost, the Pongal prize amount also shall be sent by Money Order at the Government cost.

   (ii) In respect of pensioners / family pensioners to whom pension / family pension is paid through Banks,

   (a) In Pension Pay Office, Chennai and District Treasuries / Sub Treasuries where the cheque system of payment of bills / Electronic Clearing System is in vogue, the Pension Pay Officer, Chennai and District Treasury officers / Sub Treasury officers are permitted to issue cheques and send the cheques to the respective paying branches of the bank with a covering list of pensioners / family pensioners for crediting the amount to the pensioners’ / family pensioners’ savings bank account.

   (b) As regards banking Sub-Treasuries where the cheque system of payment of bills / Electronic Clearing System is not in vogue, the Sub Treasury officers are permitted to get Banker’s cheque / Bank draft and send them to the respective pensioners for crediting the amount to the pensioners’ / family pensioners’ savings bank account.

   (c) As regards Non-Banking Sub-Treasuries, the Sub-Treasury officers are permitted to draw the Pongal prize amount and arrange to send the same to the respective paying branches of the bank for crediting the amount to the pensioners’ / family pensioners’ savings bank account.

   6. In respect of pensioners / family pensioners coming under the Public Sector Bank Scheme, all Public Sector Banks are authorised to credit the amount to the pensioners’ / family pensioners’ account.

   7. In respect of pensioners / family pensioners for whom expenditure is met from State Funds, the expenditure shall be debited to the following Head of Account:

     "2071. Pensions and Other Retirement Benefits - 01. Civil  – 800. Other Expenditure  - I. Non-Plan  - AF. Pongal prize to Pensioners and Family Pensioners - 27. Pensions - 09. Others (D.P.C. 2071 01 800 AF 2799)".

   In respect of payment of Pongal Prize to Ex-Village Officers, the expenditure shall be debited to the following head of account:-

   “2071. Pensions and Other Retirement Benefits  – 01. Civil  – 800. Other Expenditure – I. Non-Plan– AK. Other Expenditure - Pongal Prize to Ex-Village Officers – 27. Pensions – 09. Others (D.P.C. 2071 01 800 AK 2799)”.

      In respect of pensioners / family pensioners of Local Bodies for whom expenditure is met from the fund maintained by the Director of Local Fund Audit or Municipal Funds, as the case may be, the expenditure shall be met from the respective funds referred to above.

   8.   The Pongal Prize amount sanctioned above shall be paid to the eligible pensioners / family pensioners and Ex-Village Officers immediately.

   9. Necessary provisions have been made under the relevant head of account in Budget Estimate 2012-2013.  However, if additional provisions are required, they will be made under the relevant head of account in RE/FMA 2012-2013 and the required funds may be drawn pending such provision. 

   10. This order issues with the Additional Sanction Ledger No.2096 (Two Thousand and Ninety Six).

(BY ORDER OF THE GOVERNOR)

             K. SHANMUGAM,
              PRINCIPAL SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT.

Source:http://www.tn.gov.in/gosdb/gorders/finance/fin_e_6_2013.pdf