F.No.1/17/2011-P&PW(E)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, P.G. & Pensions
Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare
Lok Nayak Bhawan,
Khan Market, New Delhi
Dated: 14th Sept, 2011
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Sub: Grant of family pension to the eligible member of the family of a pensioner - regarding.
The undersigned is directed to refer to this Department’s earlier office memorandum No. 1/17/86-P&PW(E), dated 29th August, 1986, 25th January. 1991 and l8th February, 1993 and No. 1/28/04-P&PW(E) dated 31st March. 2009 and 2nd July, 2010 regarding grant of family pension to the eligible members of the family of an employee/pensioner reported missing and whose whereabouts are not known.
2. As per this Department’s 0.M. dt. 29.8.1986, subject to fulfillment of Certain conditions, the family pension can he granted to the family of an employee reported missing and whose whereabouts are not known after a period of one year reckoned from the date of filing the FIR with the police authorities. Subsequently, it was clarified vide this Department’s O.M. dated 25th January, 1991, that the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare’s O.M. dated 29th August, 1986, would be applicable in the case of missing pensioners mutatis mutandis. It was further clarified vide this Department’s O.M. No. 1/17/86-P&PW(E), dated 28.02.1993 that family pension to the
eligible family member of an employee reported missing, would accrue from the date of lodging the FIR or expiry of leave in the case of an employee who had disappeared, whichever is later.
3. While providing that the family pension to the family of the missing employed pensioner may be sanctioned after a period of six months from the date of registration of an FIR with the police vide this Department’s O M dated 2nd July, 2010, it was also made clear that the earlier instructions did not make any distinction between the government servant and the pensioner and Cover both of them for the purpose of grant of family pension. However, doubts have been raised by some quarters to the effect as to whether family pension will accrue from the date of lodging the FIR in the case of missing pensioners as well.
4. The matter has been considered in this Department in consultation with Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. It is hereby clarified that as the previous instructions did not make any distinction between the Government servant and the pensioner, the family pension to the family of a missing pensioner would accrue with effect from the date of lodging the FIR or from the date immediately succeeding the day till pension had been last paid to the pensioner, whichever is later. Accordingly, arrears in past cases would also be admissible.
5. This issues with the concurrence of Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure vide their U.O, No.263/E.V/2011 dated 12.9.2011.
(K.K Mittal)
Director