JAMMU, OCT 29: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has constituted a six-member committee to facilitate the time-bound resolution of cases concerning the coverage of eligible government employees under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), with a focus on expediting eligibility verification, administrative approvals, pension fund transfers and the settlement of pending procedural issues.
The committee has been tasked with coordinating among the concerned administrative departments, the Jammu and Kashmir Funds Organisation, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) and Protean eGov Technologies Limited, the designated Central Recordkeeping Agency, to facilitate the processing and resolution of eligible cases.
The move follows Government Order No. 305-F of 2026, dated September 28, concerning the one-time option for coverage under the Old Pension Scheme for eligible employees appointed against posts or vacancies advertised or notified before the introduction of the New Pension Scheme under SRO-400 dated December 24, 2009.
According to the order, the committee will work towards ensuring that eligible cases are processed systematically and without unnecessary delays. It will coordinate with the concerned departments to examine service records, recruitment notifications, appointment details and other relevant documents required to establish eligibility under the applicable government provisions.
The respective administrative departments will be responsible for verifying employees’ service particulars and certifying their eligibility before forwarding complete cases for further consideration. The committee will facilitate coordination between the departments and the Finance Department to ensure that cases are processed in accordance with the prescribed rules and procedures.
A significant responsibility of the committee will be to coordinate the financial and technical aspects associated with the transition of eligible employees from the New Pension Scheme to the Old Pension Scheme. This will involve liaison with the Jammu and Kashmir Funds Organisation, PFRDA and Protean eGov Technologies Limited to resolve issues concerning the accumulated pension corpus and related formalities.
The committee will facilitate the transfer of the accumulated pension corpus to the Government exchequer and, wherever applicable under the prescribed procedure, to the respective employees’ General Provident Fund (GPF) accounts. It will also coordinate with the Directorate of Funds Organisation to expedite the allotment of GPF account numbers to employees whose coverage under OPS has been approved by the competent authority.
The six-member panel will be headed by the Director General of Accounts and Treasuries (DGAT). Its composition includes the Joint Director (Central), Funds Organisation; Joint Director (Central), Directorate General of Accounts and Treasuries; Joint Director (Codes), Finance Department; Deputy Director (Resources), Finance Department; Chief Accounts Officer, DGAT, who will serve as Member Secretary; and Deputy Director (Budget), Finance Department.
The NPS Cell of the Directorate General of Accounts and Treasuries will provide secretarial and coordination support to the committee to facilitate the examination and monitoring of cases.
To ensure accountability and track progress, the committee will submit periodic reports to the Administrative Secretary, Finance Department, detailing the status of cases received, scrutinised, recommended and approved. The reports will also cover the allotment of GPF account numbers, cases pending at different stages and the status of financial reconciliation relating to NPS transactions.
The committee will further monitor cases pending with the National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) or the designated Central Recordkeeping Agency and coordinate with the concerned agencies to resolve outstanding procedural and technical issues.
The reporting mechanism is intended to help identify bottlenecks, establish the reasons for delays and enable timely intervention by the competent authorities.
The development is significant for government employees seeking coverage under OPS under the applicable provisions relating to posts or vacancies advertised or notified before the introduction of NPS. However, the constitution of the committee does not automatically extend OPS benefits to every applicant. Each case will remain subject to verification of the relevant recruitment and service records and approval by the competent authority under the applicable government orders.
With the committee now tasked with coordinating the process, the focus will be on expediting the examination of eligible cases, resolving interdepartmental issues and completing the prescribed pension-related formalities within the stipulated framework.
