Sainik Schools employees to receive pensions on time: Govt

New Delhi [India], December 8 : The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed Memorandum of Agreements with state governments to ensure the timely release of pension and terminal benefits to retired employees of Sainik Schools, the Parliament was informed on Friday.
Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Ajay Bhatt said this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
"In this regard, MoAs have already been executed in respect of 24 Sainik Schools out of 33. Also, in cases of exigency, the Sainik Schools may utilise reserve funds, with prior approval of Sainik Schools Society, for payment of pension subject to recoupment on receipt of funds from the State Government," the minister stated.
As per the scheme regarding the sharing of responsibilities between the Sainik School Society and state governments, the responsibility to incur expenditure towards pension/terminal benefits rests with the state government concerned, acoording to an official statement.
However, the expenditure towards additionality in pension on account of the difference between the 5th to 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) recommendations is incurred by the Sainik School Society on a regular basis, it said.
Some instances have come to notice regarding delays in the payment of pension/terminal benefits to retired employees of Sainik Schools due to delays in the release of funds by the concerned state government.