Pension of Lieutenant Colonels : some lingering doubts and clarifications

Many pre-06 retired Lt Cols have reported that their banks are not including the applicable weightage while calculating pension according to the new basic pension figure of Rs 25,700 promulgated through this MoD letter dated 21 May 2009. Some have even approached Banking Ombudsman and Consumer Courts on the issue. Officers are under the impression that in the tables annexed with the above mentioned letter, a weightage of 5 and 7 years for Lt Col (Time Scale) and Lt Col (Selection Grade) respectively is to be added in the years of service mentioned therein. For example, if a particular retired Lt Col (TS) has a service of 20 years, some officers are under the impression that the entry @ 25 years in the table has to be seen for the correct pension by including the weightage and that the banks are wrongly releasing pension as per the figure mentioned at the entry @ 20 years.

This contention of some officers is totally incorrect since the tables of the ibid letter have been prepared after taking into account the weightage in an in-built manner. Hence, when you see the figure @ 20 years, the pension reflected thereon is actually the pension calculated for 25 years’ service for Lt Col (TS) and 27 years’ for Lt Col (S). And that is the reason why full pension of 33 years’ service is reflected @ 28 years for Lt Col (TS) by taking into account an in-built weightage of 5 years (28+5=33) and @ 26 years for Selection Grade Lt Col (26+7=33). This modality is already made clear in the note beneath the table which says that the weightage has already been included in the table annexed with the letter.

Secondly, many retired officers of the rank of Lt Col have reported that their banks have not yet implemented the new basic pension of Rs 25,700 and some banks are still granting pension in accordance with the old rates. Some banks have even stated on record that they have not received instructions from CDA on the issue. This is an incorrect statement since the PCDA(P) had promptly issued detailed joint guidelines for re-fixation of the pensions of pre-06 regular Lt Cols and all ranks of MNS vide a circular dated 26 May 2009 and the same can be accessed by clicking here. A copy of this circular was endorsed to the RBI and Chairpersons-cum-Managing Directors of all Public and Private Sector banks. A print-out of the copy may please be provided to the concerned bank in case of inaction. A regular reader, Wg Cdr Rajeeve Lochan, also advises retired officers to email the concerned CMDs and ICs of Customer Care of the respective banks in case of a problem. Approaching the Banking Ombudsman or the Consumer Fora may be kept as the last resort if everything fails. We must realise that notwithstanding the lethargy displayed by some banks, there are bound to be teething troubles whenever such letters are issued after changes in pension modalities.