PAYMENT OF PENSION TO N.R.I. PENSIONERS:

Rule-17
17.1 The authorised bank may credit the pension amount of non-resident to a non-resident(ordinary) account opened/maintained as per provision of the Exchange Control. The amount of pension of a pensioner who has become non-resident may be credited to the said account after ensuring the personal identification and other requirements as stipulated under the Scheme (Para 12).
* In case of NRI pensioners / family pensioners who are unable to come to India for personal identification may be allowed pension / family pension on the basis of a certificate to be issued by an authorised official of the India Embassy / High Commission of India or Consul of India consulate in the country where the pensioner is residing. This certificate is to be issued on verification of Pensioner / Family Pension on the basis of photograph pasted in the PPO or on the basis of photograph pasted on the Passport or any other such document.
Authority:- No. 1(7)CPAO.S.Book/2005/T.A/585 dated 22.09.2006.
17.2 In case of the existing accounts, the pensioner should intimate the fact that he has become non-resident Indian to the pension paying branch in India and on receipt of the same the paying branch in India should convert the account of the pensioner to Non-resident Ordinary (NRO) Account.
17.3 The pensioner has to furnish the life certificate issued by an authorised official of the Embassy/High Commission of India or Consul of Indian Consulates or a Notary Public or an Officer of an Indian Authorised Bank attached to its branch in the country where the pensioner is residing, once in a year, in November.
17.4 The pensioner has to furnish other certificates viz. non- employment/re-employment certificate, Re-marriage/Marriage certificate as prescribed in the pension scheme (Annexures XVIII & XXVI) (Page 45 & 55).
17.5 The paying branches will credit the amount of pension due every month to the Non-resident Ordinary Account of the pensioner.
17.6 Withdrawals from the Non-Resident Ordinary Accounts will be governed by the instructions contained in the Exchange Control Manual and the paying branch should allow the withdrawal accordingly.
17.7 Pension credited to the Pensioner's Non-Resident (Ordinary) Account may be remitted by the bank to the Pensioners outside India, in case the Non-Resident Pensioner so desires, by debit to his NR (O)Accounts either by direct remittance or by credit to his NR(E) Accounts.
Authority CGA's UO No. 1(7) (1)2000/TA/468 dated 21-10-2003
17.8 The paying branch should return PPOs of such Non-Resident Indian pensioners who are drawing pension from them and are unable to furnish the prescribed life certificate to the pension sanctioning authority for arranging future payments to them.

Procedure for Transfer of Pension Payment from Branch/ Bank to another:

16.1 Applications for transfer of pensions may fall under the following three categories:

(a) transfer from one paying branch to another of the same AB within the same station or at a different station;

(b) transfer from one AB to another within the same station (such transfers to be allowed only once in a financial year); and

(c) transfer from one AB to another AB at a different station.

16.2 Request falling under category (a) above may be entertained by the AB itself. In case transfer is at the same station, Link Branch will make necessary entries in the register maintained by them in the form in Annexure VIII (Page 33) and forward the disburser's portion of PPO to the paying branch at which payment is desired under intimation to the Central Pension Accounting Office and the Pensioner. In case the transfer is at different station, Link Branch after keeping the requisite note will forward disburser's portion of the PPO to the Link Branch at new station for arranging payment through the new paying branch. Necessary intimation of affecting such transfer will be sent to CPAO by the new as well as old link branches in the form as at Annexure XXI (Page-49) for keeping a note of change in their records under intimation to the pensioner. The receiving Link Branch on receipt of the pension documents will ensure forwarding the PPO to the paying branch within three days and intimate the pensioner simultaneously as stipulated in para 10.1 above. Before forwarding the disburser's portion of PPO to the new paying branch/link branch, it will be ensured that the month up to which the payment has been made is invariably indicated in the disburser's portion of PPO.

16.3 (a) In cases falling under categories (b) & (c) above, when a pensioner applies for transfer on a simple sheet of paper the old bank (transferee paying branch) will send a letter duly signed by its Branch Manager to the Branch Manager of the new paying branch, wherever located, along with photocopy of the pensioner's PPO showing the last payment made. This will be sent by Speed-post/Courier/ Regd. post to the new paying branch at the new location, along with a copy each to the pensioner, CPAO and for information to the Link Branch of the old paying branch. Simultaneously, the old paying branch will send the Bank's copy of the PPO to its Link Branch, duly completing all entries for transmission to the new Link Branch. However, pensioner's copy of PPO will be retained by pensioner and produced at the new paying branch.

(b) The new paying branch will commence the pension payment immediately on receipt of letter of the last payment certificate as at (a) above. Simultaneously, it will send intimation to its Link Branch with full details of the commencement of the pension. The old paying branch and its Link Branch will ensure that the bank's copy of PPO is transmitted to the new paying branch through its Link Branch.

(c) Pension will be paid for 3 months on the basis of the photocopy of the pensioner's PPO at transferee (New) branch, from the date of last date of payment made at the transferee (Old) branch. During this time, it will be the joint responsibility of both transferee (Old) and transferee (New) bank branches to ensure that all the documents, under the procedure, are received by the transferee (New) branch within the period of 3 months.

16.4 To avoid the risk of overpayment at the time of transfer, the following certificate may be recorded on the Disburser's portion of the PPO by the paying branch of the AB:

"Certified that payment of pension has been made up to the month of ................ and that this PPO consists of ............... continuation sheets for recording disbursement."

16.5 Except as provided above, the transfer of a pension from one payment point to another will not ordinarily be permitted.

Ref Para 16 to the SCHEME FOR PAYMENT OF PENSIONS TO CENTRAL OVERNMENT CIVIL PENSIONERS THROUGH AUTHORISED BANKS