T HIS is apropos your editorial `Pensioners` lot` (July 13).
My department has already taken note of the situation and has introduced a programme called `Direct Credit System`. This system provides an amicable facility to all the pensioners of the government of Punjab to receive pension through their bank accounts.
All that the pensioner needs to do is open an account in any of the commercial banks anywhere in Pakistan and convey his bank account number to this of fice on a prescribed form along with his/her pension book. The pension will be transferred into the person`s bank account on due date. The pensioner will be at liberty to withdraw his/her pension through cheque/ATM as per his/her convenience.
The pensioner will be required to furnish a life certificate to the bank after every six months which can be sent through post/TCSand no personal appearance is mandatory.
The prescribed forms are available from this ofñce and 35 district accounts ofñces free of cost. They can also be downloaded from the internet.
More than 162,000 pensioners are already enjoying this facility in Punjab. This scheme has been mandatory for all new pensioners since July 1, 2014.
Similar arrangements have also been made by the accountant generals of Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and AGPR (AGPR for Federal Pensioners).
