REIMBURSE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES FOR PRIVATE TREATMENT

A central government servant is entitled for reimbursement even if he takes treatment in a private hospital under emergent situation, the TN Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal has held.

M Mohamed Salia, Deputy Chief Engineer, Southern Railway, while returning home, suffered a heart attack on November 20, 2008. Due to the urgency of the matter, his wife admitted him in the nearest private hospital Frontier Lifeline, as the Railway Hospital was 10 km away from her residence. After a by-pass surgery and necessary treatment, he was discharged on December 12, 2008. He paid Rs.3.10 lakh towards hospital bills.

When he applied for reimbursement of Rs.2 lakh to which he was entitled, the railway authorities rejected his claim on the ground that treatment in a non-recognised private hospital without referral by the railway authorised medical officer was not admissible. Hence, the present application.

Rejecting the contentions, CAT judicial member G Santhappa said that in this case, the applicant had produced the emergency certificate and that had not been considered by the railways. The Personnel Branches Circular (PBC) dated May 4, 1994 listed under what circumstances reimbursement of medical expenses could be made. It included that if a patient falls ill at a place where there was no government or railway hospital and that if transporting the patient to the nearest government hospital would result in loss of life, the servant could be admitted in a private hospital. The rejection was against the law laid down by the SC, the tribunal said, set aside the order and directed the railways to sanction the amount in a month.

Source : www.newindianexpress.com

CHANGE IN DATE OF BIRTH/AGE OF FAMILY PENSIONERS REGARDING

No.1/23/2012-P&PW( E)

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances& Pensions

Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare

3rd Floor, Lok Nayak Bhavan,

Khan Market, New Delhi

Dated: 11th September, 2012

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub: Change in date of birth/age of family pensioners- regarding.

In accordance with the instructions issued vide this Departments OM No.38/37/08-P&PW(A) dated 21.5.2009, 11.8.2009, 25.6.2010 & 28.9.2010 and OM No.1/19/11-P&PW(E) dated 3.8.2011, additional pension/family pension to old pensioners/family pensioners is allowed on the basis of the date of birth/age recorded in the Pension Payment Order (PPO) or other office records. Only in case the details regarding date of birth/age are not available in the PPO/office records, additional pension/family pension to old pensioners/family pensioners has been allowed on the basis of certain documents i.e. PAN Card, Matriculation certificate, Passport, CGHS Card, Driving licence, Voter’s ID Card and Aadhaar Number issued by UIDAI.

2. During his service and at the time of retirement, a Government servant is required to give details of his family, including date of birth of its members, in Form 3. Date of birth/age of the members of family mentioned by the Government servant in Form 3 was not mandatory to be verified by the Head of Office. It is felt that in some case, the date of birth/age of a family pensioner, as recorded in the PPO/office records might be incorrect.

3. Some representations have been received in this Department regarding the hardship being caused to old family pensioners in getting the additional pension on account of incorrect recording of the date of birth/age in the PPO. They have been requesting for allowing the change of date of birth in the PPO on the basis of the documents prescribed in the various OMs mentioned in Para I above.

4. The matter has been considered in this Department in consultation with the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure and the following decisions have been made:

i. Since the date of birth of the Government servant is recorded in the PPO on the basis of the service records and the date of superannuation etc. also is determined on the basis of this date of birth, there is no question of allowing change in the date of birth of the retired/deceased pensioner in the PPO.

ii. The request for change of date of birth/age of the Family pensioner (parents and spouse) in the PPO may be submitted by a pensioner/family pensioner to the Head of the Department of the organisation where the Government servant had last served along with at least one of the documents mentioned in Para I above and a declaration on a non-judicial stamp paper regarding the correct date of birth of the family pensioner. The Head of the Department may allow the change in the date of birth of the family pensioner if he is satisfied that the conditions indicated in this Department’s OM No.38/37/08-P&PW (A) dated 21.5.2009 have been fulfilled and that a bona-fide mistake has been made in recording the date of birth in the PPO.

iii. No other document will be accepted for allowing the change in date birth/age of the family pensioner in the PPO.

iv. In order to avoid any possibility of recording an incorrect date of birth in the PPO, in future, the Government servant may be required to submit one of the documents indicated in Para I above as proof of date of birth of spouse or parents along with the details of family in Form 3. In the case of children certificate of birth from the Municipal authorities or from the local panchayat or from the head of a recognised school if the child is studying in such a school or from a Board of Education may be accepted.

5. As regards pensioners/family pensioners belonging to the Indian Audit and Accounts Departments, these Orders issue after consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

6. This issues with the concurrence of Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure vide their ID. No 428/E.V/2012, dated 27/8/2012.

7. Hindi version will follow.

Sd/-

(Sujasha Choudhury)

Deputy Secretary

Source : www.pensionersportal.gov.in