JACTO-GEO demands old pension scheme, repeal of interim payouts

CHENNAI: The Joint Action Council of Teachers and Government Employees Organisations (JACTO-GEO) condemned the State government's move to recover excess interim pension payouts made under the Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme (TAPS).

The association stated that recovering the excess amount without issuing rules and guidelines for TAPS was an autocratic move and that the government should clarify the criteria under which an employee would be considered to have completed 18 years of service and become eligible for the interim payout under TAPS.

"The TVK government should implement its election manifesto, stating that the Old Pension Scheme would be implemented once the party came to power. The order on interim payout issued by the Finance Department should be repealed," the association said.

In a recent circular issued by Finance Secretary N Venkatesh to the Director of Treasuries and Accounts, the Finance Department said that retired government staff who had completed 18 years of service or more would be eligible for 30 per cent of their last-drawn monthly basic pay or Rs 10,000 as interim payout, whichever was higher.

Venkatesh said that if pensioners were credited with a payout of 30 per cent despite not having completed 18 years of qualifying service, the excess amount would be recovered from their bank accounts in 10 equal instalments.

JACTO-GEO also said that only a few government employees and teachers had completed 18 years of service, particularly among those recruited after 2007 through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC).