SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday launched the Pension Suvidha Portal, a new digital initiative aimed at streamlining the pension settlement process for retiring government employees and pensioners. The portal, developed by the Finance Department in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the office of the Principal Accountant General (A&E), J&K, was inaugurated at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar.
Addressing the launch, the Chief Minister said that simplifying post-retirement procedures is a moral responsibility towards those who have served the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “Employees who have dedicated years to the service of this region deserve a dignified and efficient retirement process,” Abdullah said, commending the collaborative efforts behind the portal’s creation.
Designed to digitise pension records for over 2.4 lakh pensioners under the Old Pension Scheme, the portal supports real-time application tracking, document uploads, online KYC updates, and integrates with existing systems such as JKHRMS and JKPaySys. It also links with J&K Bank and the Accountant General’s office for seamless data exchange and faster disbursement of dues.
One of the portal’s standout features is its eight-month advance SMS/email alert to notify employees approaching retirement, along with the facility to submit applications online. Retiring employees can initiate and monitor their cases, while Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs), Pension Authorities, and treasuries will verify, process, and execute payments electronically.
The portal also accommodates life certificate submission through Jeevan Pramaan, and includes post-retirement services such as PPO tracking, account transfers, and revision requests.
Highlighting the inclusivity of the platform, the Chief Minister noted that it also covers ex-legislators and called on the Assembly Secretariat to brief them about the new system. He further suggested that the government continue efforts to ensure employees receive their dues—such as GP fund—on time.
During the event, Director General Accounts & Treasuries Fayaz Ahmad Lone outlined the scope of the portal, which gathered data through various modes: in-person treasury visits (2,31,127 pensioners), home visits (7,002), video calls (1,819 abroad-based pensioners), and postal notifications (9,513 cases). The data includes complete service history, photographs, and other personal details.
The system has already helped identify discrepancies like posthumous disbursement of pensions, double payment of dearness allowance, and early stoppage of recoveries. Lone said the initiative enhances transparency, reduces paperwork, and ensures better reconciliation with banks.
Several senior officials attended the launch including Advisor to CM Nasir Aslam Wani, ACS Shantmanu, ACS to CM Dheeraj Gupta, and heads of major departments. Outstation officials joined via video conferencing.
Marking the portal’s operational launch, the Chief Minister handed over a processed pension case to Ragubhir, who retired on April 30.
