Production of “Life Certificate” by Pensioners

The Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO) New Delhi, has circulated the provisions relating to filing of "Life Certificate" by Pensioners to the pension disbursing Banks and exemption from personal appearance of the Pensioners in certain cases.  The provisions are given below :

1. The Life Certificate has to be submitted by the pensioner/family pensioner lo any Branch Manager of Pension Paying Bank in the months of November each year. The scheme booklet (4th edition, 3 Dec 2004) detailing the "Scheme for Payment of Pensions to Central Government Civil Pensioners through Authorised Bank’s has been amended to include para 15.2 (i) which provides for an exemption from personal appearance of the pensioner in the bank. The same is quoted below for ready reference of all concerned.

"A pensioner who produces a life certificate in the prescribed form in, Annexure-XVII (given below) signed by any person specified hereunder, however, is exempted from personal appearance:

i. A person exercising the powers of a Magistrate under the Criminal Procedure code:

ii. A Registrar or Sub-Registrar appointed under Indian Registration Act.

iii. A Gazetted Government servant:

iv. A Police Officer not below the rank of Sub-Inspector in-charge of a Police Station:

v. A Class-I Officer of the Reserve Bank of India an officer (including Grade II officer) of the State Bank of India or of its subsidiary:

vi. A pensioned Officer who, before retirement, exercised the powers of a magistrate:

vii. A Justice of Peace:

viii. A Block Development Officer, Munsif, Tehsildar or Naib Tehsìldar:

ix. A Head of Village Panchayat. Gram Panchayat Gaori Panchayat or an Executive Committee of a Village;

x. A Member of Parliament, of State legislatures or of legislatures of Union Territory Governments/Administrations;

xi. Treasury Officer.

It is further stated that in the case of a pensioner drawing his pension through a Public Sector Bank the life certificate may be signed by an officer of a Public Sector Bank. In the case of a pensioner residing abroad and drawing his pension through any other bank included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act. 1934, the life certificate may be signed by an officer of the Bank. A pensioner not resident in India in respect of whom his duty authorised agent produces a life certificate signed by a Magistrate, a Notary, a Banker or a Diplomatic Representative of India is exempted from special appearance.

The CPAO New Delhi has  requested  all banks to  give the above provisions/guidelines a wide publicity and also to circulate to all the branches for strict compliance and for information to pensioners.

For complete details, download the Ministry's Notification dated 30.10.2011 below