All pension cases to be settled by March 2012

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has asked the comptroller of accounts to dispose of all the pending pension cases of teachers by March, 2012.To a question from Bibhuti Balabantray (BJD) in the Assembly on Monday, Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei said 5,652 pension cases are pending with the comptroller of accounts, while 8,779 revision pension cases waiting to be settled.Stating that shortage of staff has delayed disposal of pension cases, the Minister said the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) had been requested to select candidates for filling up 55 junior assistant posts. Besides, 35 auditors from the Institute of Public Auditors of India (IPAI), Odisha chapter, have been engaged in the disposal of revision pension cases, he said.The Minister said every month 1,500 new cases reach the comptroller of accounts. Steps have been initiated to dispose of the new cases in three months. Stating that the settlement of pension cases has improved, Ghadei said it increased to 11,586 in 2010-11 compared to 5,756 in 2009-10. In the first five months of 2011-12, 4,106 cases have been settled, he said.