SHIMLA — In a major financial relief for retired government personnel, the Himachal Pradesh Government has ordered the release of another installment of pending pension and family pension arrears for employees who retired between January 1, 2016, and January 31, 2022.
According to an Office Memorandum issued by the Finance (Pension) Department, the Governor of Himachal Pradesh has sanctioned the release of:
* 30% of remaining arrears to eligible pensioners and family pensioners who retired under Class-III.
* 15% of remaining arrears to retirees belonging to Class-I and Class-II.
The payout applies to balance arrears as of date and continues the series of previously issued departmental notifications.
Classification guidelines outlined in earlier departmental memoranda—notably the Office Memorandum dated August 18, 2026, and its subsequent corrigenda issued on August 21 and September 11—will govern the disbursement.
Mandatory Deductions and Recovery Rules
The order clarifies that the release will not be an unadjusted lump sum:
Adjustments for Relief: The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th installments of Interim Relief (IR), along with previous Dearness Relief (DR) payouts already credited on basic pension and family pension, will be deducted against gross pension arrears. Only the net balance will be disbursed to beneficiaries.
Recovery of Excess Amounts: All Pension Disbursing Authorities (PDAs), including authorized public sector banks, have been instructed to identify and adjust any excess pension or family pension payments due for recovery before issuing the remaining balance.
The release comes as a welcomed breather for state pensioners, following persistent demands by employee unions and pensioner welfare associations for the clearance of revised pay-scale dues.
