The UP state government has decided to organise a farewell and felicitation programme for its employees on their last working day. One important aspect of this felicitation ceremony is to ensure that all the dues of the retiring employees are fulfilled before they leave the government service for which they worked for decades.

Incidentally, the government had passed an order way back on July 28, 1989 asking for expeditious clearance of the retirement dues of the superannuating employees. However, there is still a considerable delay in the release of dues to these retiring employees despite simplification of the procedure, Hindustan Times quoted chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra as saying.

“It has come to the state government’s notice that payment of retirement dues is being delayed at district and head of department level offices though the state finance department simplified the procedure for payment of dues vide government order number sa-3-1713/thas-87-933/89 dated July 28, 1989,” Mishra said.

Now, it is understood that the majority of the dues of the employee will be paid at the retirement ceremony held in the employee’s honour on the last day of their service, according to an order sent by Mishra to all departmental heads and district magistrates on October 13, 2023.

“I have been asked to say that farewell and felicitation functions should be organised on the last working day of every month for all categories of officers and/or employees at the offices of heads of department, public sector undertakings, commissions and institutions. In addition to this, respective heads of department, divisional commissioners and district magistrates should ensure that their retirement dues – pension payment order (PPO), gratuity and computation, leave encashment, group insurance payment and 90 per cent of government provident fund (PF) are paid at the same function as per rules,” Mishra added.

As part of the felicitation ceremony, the retiring employees will also be presented with mementoes and One District One Product (ODOP) stole. There will also be special programmes organised for them on their last working day.

“Keeping in view the long service period of retiring officer/employee, they should be given a memento and ‘angvastram’ (stole) of ODOP and their experiences should be shared to inspire others,” Mishra said.

Incidentally, several complaints have previously been raised regarding the delay in payment of dues to the retired employees. In some cases, the delay has dragged on for two years.

B.L. Kushwaha, senior vice president, Uttar Pradesh Retired Employees Association said that orders for timely payment of retirement dues were not being implemented effectively. He has now welcomed the decision to hold a farewell and felicitation function on the day of retirement.

“To show courtesy is a good gesture and will help in timely clearance of the dues,” said Kushwaha.

J.N. Tiwari from Uttar Pradesh State Employees Joint Council said that it is the duty of state government to ensure that the orders for timely clearance of the dues are implemented by the subordinate offices.

Yadvendra Mishra, former president of Uttar Pradesh Secretariat Employees Association said that a system of leaving service for retiring employees has now been worked out in the state secretariat and most of the employees get their dues on time. The chief secretary now called the retiring officers/employees on the last working day of every month to have tea with them. This guaranteed that all the dues of such employees were cleared before retirement, he said.