Kohima, 4th September 2026 (Nokinketer News): Chief Minister and Minister in-charge of Personnel & Administrative Reforms (P&AR), Dr. Neiphiu Rio, on Friday attributed the recurring delay in the release of pension, gratuity, GPF/PS and other retirement benefits to procedural lapses at various stages of the process.
Replying to a starred question raised by MLA Nuklutoshi in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Rio said delays were largely caused by inadequate guidance to retiring employees, late issuance of Provisional Release Orders by departments, and delayed submission of pension papers by employees themselves.
He also said some departments process pension papers in bulk only after compiling the cases of all retiring employees, instead of handling them individually, resulting in avoidable delays. Other factors contributing to the problem include incorrect entries in Service Books, erroneous pay fixation following promotions or the grant of Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP), and delayed forwarding of pension papers to the Office of the Accountant General.
During the supplementary discussion, Nuklutoshi said retirement benefits were not a favour but a rightful entitlement earned by government employees after years of public service. He pointed out that pensions were the principal source of livelihood for many retirees, and delays often caused severe hardship, particularly in meeting medical and household expenses.
He observed that the issue appeared to be systemic rather than confined to any particular department. According to him, delays stem from incomplete or outdated service records, missing entries in Service Books and GPF records, delayed verification, movement of physical files, and frequent transfer of officials handling pension-related matters.
The MLA stressed the need to identify discrepancies well before an employee’s retirement. He suggested that verification of Service Books, GPF records, No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and other relevant documents should begin at least two years before retirement, allowing sufficient time to rectify errors while the employee is still in service.
Nuklutoshi also called for fixed timelines and a comprehensive tracking mechanism that would enable retiring employees to monitor the status of their pension cases and identify the office where their files were pending.
Referring to initiatives adopted by other northeastern states, he cited online pension processing and tracking systems in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, as well as digital pension workflows, defined timelines and automated pension payments in Meghalaya and Mizoram. These, he said, demonstrated that digital records, online tracking, automated payments and clearly defined responsibilities were practical and achievable.
He urged the government to transition from the existing manual and reactive system to a digital, time-bound and accountable mechanism to ensure timely release of retirement benefits.
Nuklutoshi further asked whether the government proposed to introduce a comprehensive online pension and retirement-benefits processing system, including digitisation of records, online tracking facilities and an effective grievance redressal mechanism.
Responding to the supplementary, Rio said the government was already seized of the matter and had initiated steps to examine ways of improving the existing system. Departments, he said, had been instructed to adequately guide retiring employees in filling up pension papers and submitting all required documents.
The Chief Minister noted that delays also occurred due to late issuance of provisional pension orders and No Demand Certificates (NDCs) by departments. In several instances, pension papers were forwarded to the Accountant General’s office only after employees had retired, contrary to the prescribed procedure.
He informed the House that under the existing pension rules, pension papers should reach the Accountant General’s office at least six months before an employee’s retirement to ensure timely authorisation of pensionary benefits.
Explaining delays in the settlement of GPF and other retirement benefits, Rio said the existing procedure involved multiple stages and departments. Final withdrawal of GPF, he said, required proposals to be initiated by the concerned office and processed through various authorities before reaching the Finance Department and other agencies for final settlement.
He added that discrepancies in GPF entries or service records often required corrections, while incomplete proposals lacking release orders, sanction orders, NDCs, succession certificates and other mandatory documents were returned, further prolonging the process.
Rio also acknowledged that there had been instances where employees continued in service even after attaining the prescribed retirement age because retirement and pension formalities had not been completed in time.
To address the issue, he informed the House that the government has constituted a committee to examine the existing system and recommend measures to streamline the entire process by eliminating duplication, confusion and procedural bottlenecks.
The Chief Minister emphasised that departments should identify employees due for retirement well in advance—preferably at least six months before the date of retirement—so that all pension-related formalities could be completed on time.
Assuring the House, Rio said the government would take necessary measures based on the committee’s recommendations to address existing shortcomings and ensure smoother and more timely settlement of retirement benefits.
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