Tripura Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman has written a letter to Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha urging immediate action to implement a recent Supreme Court directive that could significantly benefit nearly 50,000 state government pensioners.
In his letter, Roy Barman highlighted the financial strain faced by pensioners who opt to commute—or sell—a portion of their pension in exchange for a one-time lump sum.
According to existing Tripura Pension Rules (1972) and CCS Pension Rules, retirees can commute up to 40 percent of their basic pension. The commuted amount is later recovered in 180 monthly installments (15 years) along with an interest, currently pegged at 7 percent.
Citing an analysis by former Central Government Secretary Jindal, Congress MLA Roy Barman pointed out that pensioners actually recover their full pension in just 128 months, yet continue to face deductions for an additional 52 months, resulting in substantial financial loss.
The matter, taken up by various central government pensioners' associations, was recently adjudicated by the Supreme Court in cases C.W.P. No. 2490 and 8222/2024. The apex court ruled that the recovery period for commuted pensions should be capped at 128 months, and directed that this ruling be extended to pensioners of all state governments.
“I draw your attention to this matter in the interest of 50,000 government pensioners of the state," Roy Barman wrote, urging the Chief Minister to ensure that the Supreme Court’s directions are implemented in Tripura without delay.
The Congress legislator’s appeal comes at a time when pensioners across the country are closely watching how state governments respond to the landmark ruling, which is expected to bring significant relief to retired employees.
