(a) whether the Government has received complaints regarding harassment of pensioners in
withdrawal of pension by the public sector banks;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the corrective steps taken/being taken by the Government in the matter?
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI S. S. PALANIMANICKAM)
(a) to (c) : Government/Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have received complaints from pensioners
/pensioners association against banks; relating to delay/non-payment of Deamess Relief/Family
pension, maintenance of minimum balance in the pension account, payment of pension to old/
sick/in-capacitated persons, poor amenities in the branch premises, branches not allowing to
open joint accounts with the spouse, nomination etc.
Such complaints/ are sent immediately to the banks concerned calling for details and
advising them to redress the grievances. All pension paying banks have been advised by RBI
to act directly on the copies of Government orders on Deamess Relief and other allowances
supplied to them by Government through Posit/Fax/e-mail or by accessing the website of
concerned pension paying authorities without waiting for receipt of further instructions
from them. The banks have been further advised to include topics on pension schemes/rules
in the training programmes conducted by their establishments. Instructions have also been
issued to banks to deal with operation of pension accounts by old/sick/incapacitated persons
without the need of their visit to the branch.