The matter regarding procedure to be followed for inclusion of names of widowed/divorced daughters/parents in PPO forms after issue of PPOs was under examination in consultation with Department of Pensions and Pensioners’ Welfare. The position has since been clarified by DOP&PW vide their O.M. No. 1/6/08-P&PW[E] dated 27.1.2010 [copy enclosed].
Kindly take necessary action accordingly and ensure that no difficulty is faced by the eligible family members of deceased employees in grant of family pension.
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Copy of DOP&PW’s O.M. No. 1/6/08-P&PW[E] dated 27.1.2010
Sub: Inclusion of names of the widowed or divorced daughter/parents in the PPO – Procedure for –Regarding.
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The undersigned is to refer to the Ministry of Railways [Railway Board]’s O.M. No.2007/ACII/21/10 dated 11.11.2008 and further to this Department’s O.M. No. 1/6/08-P&PW[E] dated 13.2.2009 on the above noted subject and to state that it has been clarified vide this Department’s O.M. No. 1/21/91-P&PW[E] dated 20.1.1993 that the revised PPO format introduced w.e.f.1.1.1990 contains provision for entry of details of all members of the family of the pensioner. The PPOs issued prior to 1.1.90 do not contain the names/details of children of the pensioner. In cases where the names of eligible children have not been mentioned in the PPO for various reasons, the pensioner can furnish a list of eligible children to the pension sanctioning authority and obtain an acknowledgement thereof from that authority. This acknowledgement will be produced at the time of submission of family pension claim to the pension sanctioning authority. However, the production of an acknowledgement will not be a pre-condition to the processing of claim for family pension. Even the spouse of the deceased Government servant/pensioner can furnish the details of such Children, if not furnished by the Government servant/pensioner earlier, to the pension sanctioning authority as clarified vide this Department’s O.M. No. 1/21/91-P&PW[E] dt.15.1.1999.
2. As regards the cases wherein eligibility of divorced or widowed daughter/parents occurs after issue of the PPO, it is hereby clarified that the pensioner or his/her spouse may intimate to the pension sanctioning authority the details / names of divorced or widowed daughter /parents, to the pension sanctioning authority as per the procedure indicated in para [1] above. Similarly, in cases where the pensioner or his/her spouse has expired, the widowed or divorced daughter/parents can themselves intimate such details to the pension sanctioning authority. However, the family pension in such cases can be processed by the pension sanctioning authority even without such intimation /acknowledgement, if sufficient proof of entitlement is produced by the claimant and all other condition for grant of family pension are fulfilled.