Himachal issues SOPs to implement OPS

Himachal Pradesh Finance ( Pension ) Department today issued Office Memo following Instructions and Standard Operating Procedures, to implement the Old Pension Scheme also known as the Central Civil  Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, for the existing and retired employees who are or were covered under the National Pension System.

Office Memorandum copy is with us said that an employee, who wishes to remain under the NPS, shall exercise an option, within sixty days from the date of issue of these instructions. Submitted a given performa which shall be duly notarized and submitted to the Head of Office.  Such employee(s), shall continue to be covered under the NPS (also known as Contributory Pension Scheme).  

The contributions (both employer’s and employee’s share) under the National Pension System, shall be deposited as per the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Regulations, till the retirement of employee(s).  

The Government employees who wish to be covered under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, also known as Old Pension Scheme, shall exercise an option, within sixty days from the date of issue of these instructions, on the other prescribed format.  An undertaking or option shall also be furnished by such employees also duly notarized and the same will be submitted to the Head of Office. 

 An Option once exercised by the Government employees, either opting for the NPS shall be final and irrevocable.  If an employee fails to exercise an option within the stipulated period, it shall be deemed that he or she wishes to be continued under the NPS.

The employees covered under the NPS and opting for the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, also known as the OPS shall also be covered under the General Provident Fund (Central Service) Rules, 1960.

 The State Government on April 17, 2023, has decided that contributions of the State Government employees ( i.e. employee’s and employer’s share ) covered under NPS should be stopped with effect from 1st April 2023.

 Now, in partial modification of the Office Memorandum dated 17.04.2023 above, it has been decided that the contributions of the State Government employees ( i.e. employee’s and employer’s share ) who opt for NPS  as per para-1 above, shall continue to be deposited under NPS.

In any case, if the contribution for the month of April 2023 of an employee, who has now opted for  NPS, was stopped, he/she may be at liberty to deposit his/her contribution under NPS. In such cases, Government shares would also be deposited. 

  The Government Servants, who have opted for the OPS shall be paid pensionary benefits under these Rules subject to deposit of Government contribution and dividend or return earned thereon, to the State Government. 

The amount of the Government contribution shall be deposited under the Receipt Head ” 0071 as contribution & recoveries towards pension and other retirement benefits, with respect to NPS subscribers ” towards pension and other retirement benefits, NPS employees converted into OPD

“Employees, who were covered under the NPS and have already retired or died, between the period 15.05.2003 to 31.03.2023 and who fulfill the eligibility criteria under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, such retired employee and eligible family member of deceased

employee, shall be entitled to a pension from prospective date i.e. with effect from 01.04.2023, on exercising an option for the same on the prescribed format 

. The amount of Government contribution and dividend or return should be deposited under the Receipt Head ” 0071 Contribution & Recoveries towards pension and other retirement benefits, 01-1 Civil, 101 – Subscriptions and Contributions, 03 – Accumulated Pension Wealth in respect of NPS Subscribers and 04 – Accumulated dividend on Government Contribution of NPS converted into OPS.

Employees’ own contribution along with dividend and return earned thereon, shall be retained by such employees who have opted for NPS and opting for OPS, shall also furnish an undertaking for adjustment of the Government contribution and dividend earned thereon, from the gratuity, leave encashment, GIS, if they fail. to deposit such amount to the Government Account. 

  If an employee, who has opted for OPS fails to deposit Government contribution and dividend earned thereon, to the Government Account and said amount is also not possible to be adjusted completely against the payment of gratuity and leave encashment, GIS, then such an employee should not be entitled to any pension under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972. 

 ( The Head of Department and Head of Office shall take up the pension cases of Government employees, who opted for the OPS  with the Principal Accountant General (A & E), Himachal Pradesh, for authorization after following due procedure and formalities under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972. 

 The procedure to regulate the benefits under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, and the General Provident Fund (Central Service) Rules, 1960, shall be the same as applicable to the employees appointed on or before 14.05.2003 and these rules will be followed mutatis mutandis for the employees appointed on or after 2622438 797 perusing 15.05.2003 and have opted for the OPS, with the conditions as mentioned above. 

 Before sending the pension cases to the Principal Accountant General (A & E) Himachal Pradesh for authorization, the Head of Department or Head of Office should ensure that the amount of the Government contribution and dividend and the return earned thereon, under the  National Pension System, till the date of withdrawal, are deposited in the Government account.  

A Certificate to this effect shall be recorded in the service book of the Government servant by the concerned authority as under: “It is certified that the amount of Government contribution and dividend earned thereon, under the NPS till the date of withdrawal,  has been deposited in the Government Receipt under NPS  Subscribers 

Accumulated dividend on Government Contribution of NPS employees converted into OPS as on the date of submission of pension case to the Pr.AG (A & E) H.P.  “