Family Pension: RBE No.160/2000 – ‘Family’ also include Parents

No.F(E)III/98/PN1/4, dated 11.09.2000

Sub: Implementation of Government’s decision on the recommendation of the Vth CPC – Revision of provisions regarding pension/ commutation of pension.

1. In terms of para 7.2(a) of Board’s letter No.F(E)II/97/PN1/22, dated 05.11.1997 (RBE No.142/1997), for the purpose of grant of family pension, the definition of ‘family’ shall also include parents who were wholly dependent on the Railway servant when he/she was alive provided the deceased employee had left behind neither a widow nor a child entitled to receive the family pension. A few references have been received seeking clarification as to the authority competent to issue the dependency certificate for sanction of family pension in such cases. 

2. The matter has been examined in Board’s office and it is clarified that at item (i) of  para 1 of DoP&PW’s O.M. dated 21.07.1999 circulated on the Railways vide Board’s letter of even number dated 09.09.1999 (RBE No.229/1999), it has been clearly stipulated that it will be the responsibility of the pension sanctioning authorities concerned to satisfy themselves, based on a scrutiny of the service records and other relevant documents, that the parents were, in fact, wholly dependent on the deceased Government servant when he/she was alive and that he/she had not left behind any of the other specified beneficiaries who have a prior claim to the family pension. In view of this, the dependency of the parents has to be ascertained from the service records of the deceased employee and other documents, if any, and therefore, the need for issue of a dependency certificate by any authority would not arise in such cases. However, once the family pension is sanctioned to the dependent parents and children on having fulfilled all the conditions, including dependency criterion, continuance of the same will depend upon production of income certificate and fulfillment of other conditions stipulated in paras (ii),(iii) and (iv) of para 1 of DoP&PW’s OM dated 21st July,1999 referred to above.

3. It is also clarified in this context that in cases where the Railway servant/ Pensioner had left behind either a spouse or a child or both entitled to draw family pension, the dependent parents cannot be considered as part of the family and their turn for family pension will not materialize at all.

4. This also disposes of E. Railway’s letter No.E.787/0/PEN/Pt. XIX, dated 20.07.2000.

Download Railway Board Circular RBE No.160/2000                                             

Forward reference ⇒ RBE No.

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