Action Taken Report on 30th SCOVA meeting and New Agenda Items of the 31st SCOVA meeting

Negligence by the Departments / Banks for disposals of grievances of Pensioners within reasonable time.

It has been prescribed in CPENGRAMs that grievances shall be disposed of within 2 months by a reasoned reply. The application is transferred to the concerned department for action. Many a times, Ministries/ Departments forward the grievance to its subordinate/attached offices and mark it disposed without any finality. No follow-up action is taken by the administrative Ministry/Department for which the Pensioners suffer enormously. Due to this modus operandi of disposal of grievance, it is requested that there should be on effective intervention of DoPPW and periodical monitoring system may be developed. It will make portal effective and meaningful for grievance redressal.

(Action: All Ministries/Departments)

Simplification of Procedure for grant of Family Pension in some Railway Divisions and Workshops.

In some Railway Divisions & Workshops the eligible dependent applicants for Family Pension are facing difficulties to prove her/his dependency criteria. The authorities are not ready to follow the orders issued by DoPPW OM 45/51/97-P&PW(E) dated 05.03.1998 on Dependency Criteria. They say that those who are getting any income which is more than Rs. 2550/- are not dependent and are therefore not eligible for formulation whereas, as on date the minimum income for dependency as Rs. 9000 + 12% DR (i.e Rs. 10,080). They are not accepting self-declaration regarding income by the claimant in case of private employed persons. As such it is requested to formulate the documents to be submitted with simplified format of application, reiterating the dependency criteria.

(Action:-Ministry of Railways)

Improvement of Health Care facilities required for Railway Pensioners/RELHS beneficiaries:

(a) Authorisation of Doctors of Railway Health Units for referral to empanelled private hospitals:

Railway Board vide its orders No.2018/Trans Cell/Health/Medical issues dated 24-1-2019 has decided that the Railway Beneficiaries may be referred for treatment & Investigation to private empanelled and other Government Hospitals by “two Doctors”. This has left out the Single Doctor Health Units in cities like Chandigarh as not being authorised to refer the cases to Empanelled specialized Hospitals and thus compelling the Railway Beneficiaries to travel long distances from such cities, towns & areas which have “Single” Doctor Health Units to reach out to the two authorized Doctors to get a referral for an ailing patient. The hardship thus continues for majority of Old age patients to get the requisite treatment. It is requested
that in such cases, the Single Doctor of Railway Health Units may be authorized to refer the RELHS beneficiaries to private empanelled hospitals.

(b) Special provisions for Treatment of RELHS Beneficiaries who are above 80 years of age
Guidelines for special provision to CGHS Beneficiaries aged 80 years and above and issued vide MoH&FW OM No.Z–16025/98/2017/CGHS-III dated 11-7-2017. In view of this, similar guidelines may be issued by Ministry of Railways for RELHS beneficiaries who are 80 years and above.


(c) Waiving of condition of Referral from Railway Doctor of RELHS beneficiaries for OPD Consultation & treatment in Government Hospitals:

It is requested that RELHS beneficiaries be not required to get a referral from Railway Doctor for treatment in Centre or State Government Hospitals.

(Action: Ministry of Railways)

Regarding deletion of Note 3 below pension rule – 34 – Average emoluments

As per the Note 3 below Rule 33 and Note 3 below Rule 34 of CCS(Pension) Rules, an increment earned during currency of the earned leave after 120 days is not taken into account as emoluments/average emoluments for the purpose of pension. It is requested that this condition of increment having been earned within the 120 days of earned leave may be dispensed with and increment earned during the currency of leave, irrespective of the duration, may be taken inito account as part of emoluments/average emoluments for pension.

Revision of pension/family pension under 7th CPC in terms of Do P&PW OM dated 12th May, 2017 in respect of the pensioners who were in receipt of compulsory retirement pension and compassionate allowance under Rules 40 and 41 of CCS(Pension) Rules, 1972

Do P&PW OM No.38/37/2016-P&PW(A) dated 12-5-2017 , issued in implementation of 7th CPC recommendation states vide Para 11 that the orders contained therein are not applicable for the purpose of revision of pension of those pensioners who were drawing compulsory retirement pension under Rule 40 of the or compassionate allowance under Rule 41 of the CCS (Pension) Rules and pensioners in these categories would continue to be entitled to revised pension in accordance with the instructions contained in O.M. dated 4.8.2016. In the 5th and 6th Pay Commissions also, the benefit of pension @ 50% of the minimum pay of pay-scale was not extended to such pensioners who were compulsorily retired or were dismissed/retired from service. It is requested that these orders may be reviewed and all benefits of pension revision may be extended in the case of compulsory retirement pension as well as compassionate allowance.

Booking of Holiday Homes for Central Government Pensioners-enhancement of time limit from 30 days to 60 days.

Different time limit (60 & 30 days) has been fixed for serving and retired Central Govt. employees for booking of Holiday Homes.

In order to get confirmed journey tickets and better tour planning, it is requested to enhance the time limit from 30 days to 60 days for retired Central Govt. employees also.


(Action: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs)

Formal approval to Chandigarh Administration for allotment of plot to CGHS, Chandigarh.

The Ministry of Home Affairs may be directed to convey formal approval to Chandigarh Administration, to allot the earmarked Plot to CGHS, Chandigarh, at reserve price without further delay to address the problem of the CGHS patients, who are facing acute problems in getting proper medical facilities. The CGHS authorities, as also Chandigarh Administration has been taking up this point with MHA for almost 8 or 9 years, but there is no positive response from MHA.
(Action: Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health & FW)

Curtailing of investigations prescribed by specialists of empanelled hospitals.

It is observed that often investigations prescribed by specialist of CGHS empanelled private hospitals are curtailed by the Medical Officers of the Wellness Center at various places without any specific reasons on record which creates doubt in the mind and is not in the interest of wellness of the beneficiaries. Necessary instructions may be issued to mitigate such situations.
(Action: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)

No direct consultation with NIA, Jaipur

The beneficiaries are not allowed to consult directly the apex institution in Ayurveda i.e “National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur” (a body of AYUSH Department) without reference of Ayurveda Physician. The medicines prescribed by Ayurvadic Physician are also denied, this should be looked into and suitable instructions may be issued in this regard.
(Action: Ministry of Health &Family Welfare/ Ministry of AYUSH)

Regular appointment of regular Gr, C & D (Technical) and Administrative staff in the CGHS Dispensary at Dehradun.

The CGHS Dispensary at Dehradun was opened in 2004 with the help of out-sourced staff. No effort has been initiated by CGHS/Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to appoint the regular staff at CGHS Dehradun. The issue was raised in the 27th SCOVA meeting held 13-10-2015. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare informed in the 27th SCOVA meeting that the “process of appoint regular staff has been initiated”. Further, some Administrative posts including MTS have been approved by ministry of health and family welfare in the month of November 2017. However, the dispensary continues to run with the service of out-sourced employees. It is requested that the Gr. C &D (Technical) and Administrative posts sanctioned for CGHS Dehradun may be filled on regular basis without any further delay.

(Action- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)

CGHS contribution at the rates prevailing while the old P&T pensioners retired from service

The P&T Pensioners were precluded from joining CGHS due to the orders of the Health Ministry for a long time. P & T dispensaries have been merged with CGHS dispensaries and P&T employees/pensioner have been extended the CGHS facility on the recommendations of the 7th CPC. Now it is not reasonable and justifiable to ask the old Pensioners to pay subscription as per the rates revised after 7th CPC. It is requested that they may be permitted to remit the rates prevailed during the time of their retirement.

(Action: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)

CGHS Facility for BSNL Pensioners at rates prevalent at the time of formation of BSNL in 1999

At the time of formation of BSNL in 1999, BSNL pensioners were allowed to enroll themselves under CGHS. Accordingly, many pensioners had come under CGHS and obtained CGHS cards. But later when the medical reimbursement scheme was started under BSNL many CGHS card holders of BSNL joined the new BSNL scheme by surrendering their CGHS cards as the medical reimbursement scheme was being more beneficial. But while surrendering CGHS cards, the registration amount deposited by them had not been refunded.

Now, the situation is that BSNL medical reimbursement scheme has become unattractive due to paucity of funds and many beneficiaries would like to go back to the CGHS facility. Therefore it is urged that the intending BSNL pensioners may be allowed to enroll themselves under CGHS by accepting the rates prevalent at the time of formation of BSNL in 1999. Those already enrolled under CGHS had surrendered their cards may be allowed to continue to avail the CGHS facility without any fresh registration fee as they had already deposited the fee with the CGHS.
(Action: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)