Srinagar: Pensioners in Jammu and Kashmir are facing mounting financial strain as key retirement dues, including gratuity and General Provident Fund (GPF), remain uncleared for months. Retired employees say they are being denied their hard-earned entitlements, leaving many families struggling to manage expenses.
According to pensioners, gratuity payments were last cleared in November 2024, while GPF withdrawals were processed up to April 2025. Since then, both have remained stuck due to a lack of funds. “We have given decades of service, yet at the time when we most need our savings, the government is denying us access. Treasuries have dried up and employees are being made to wait indefinitely,” said a retired government employee to the news agency Kashmir News Trust.
Several pensioners accused the Finance Department of acting as a “mute spectator” in the face of their distress. “The department is aware of our plight, yet nothing concrete has been done. Every visit to the treasury returns empty-handed,” one pensioner from Jammu said.
Officials, however, said the matter had already been escalated to the Union Government. “The request for an extra budget has been formally submitted to the Centre. Once it is approved, the pending amounts will be released and dues cleared,” said a senior Finance Department officer.
The officer added that the shortage of funds was not limited to pension liabilities alone, but also affected other treasury functions. “This is a temporary gap, and we are hopeful that additional allocation will be secured soon,” he said.
For pensioners, the delay has meant real hardship. Many said they rely on gratuity and GPF payments to meet pressing family obligations, repay debts, or cover medical expenses.
Several pensioners alleged that treasury offices across Jammu and Kashmir had run out of funds. “The officials at the counters themselves admit that there is no money. Files are piling up, but nothing moves forward,” said a group of retirees in Baramulla.
Pensioners have appealed to authorities to intervene. [KNT]
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