Senior Vets Urge Punjab Govt to Reduce Commuted Pension Recovery Period
Babushahi Bureau
Mohali, May 8, 2025
The Punjab Senior Vets Association has called upon the state government to rationalise the recovery period of commuted pensions for retired officers and employees, citing changing economic conditions and declining interest rates.
In a meeting held here on Thursday, former CEO of Punjab Gau Sewa Commission Dr. Nitin Kumar Gupta and former Joint Director of Animal Husbandry Dr. Gurinder Singh Walia highlighted that the current 15-year recovery period was fixed when interest rates stood around 10–12%. However, with current rates down to 6–8%, they argued that the recovery of the commuted portion typically completes within about 10 years.
They reminded that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier been approached on this issue and that the state government had assured the court it would align the recovery period with prevailing interest rates. "Despite this commitment, no concrete steps have been taken so far to offer relief to pensioners, many of whom are in the twilight years of their lives," Dr. Walia stated.
He further demanded that pre-2016 pensioners be granted a multiplier of 2.59 instead of 2.45, as previously assured by a ministerial sub-committee.
Raising another concern, Dr. Desh Deepak Goyal criticised the continued deduction of ₹200 per month as Development Tax from employees and pensioners—originally introduced by the previous government. He demanded its immediate discontinuation, calling the levy unjust.
Dr. Madhukesh Palta, former Deputy Director, stressed the need for timely disbursal of arrears to retired veterinary officers in accordance with the Finance Department's schedule. He also urged the Punjab Government to implement a medical facility for employees and pensioners on the lines of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS).
Others present at the meeting included Dr. Jagjit Singh, Dr. Madan Mohan Singla, Dr. Naresh Sachdeva, Dr. Nirmaljit S. Mahal, and Dr. Shashi Saini.