Correspondent
KOHIMA, SEP 1 (NPN): Nagaland spent Rs.2,679.12 crore on life and family pensions in 2025-26, with 63,370 pensioners receiving pensions through the State Treasury and SBI’s Computerised Pension Processing Centre (CPPC).
The issue was raised by NPP legislator Dr Tseilhoutuo (Ato) Rhütso during zero hour of the ongoing NLA session on Tuesday. Presenting his paper, “Suggestions for Streamlining Pension in Nagaland”, he called for comprehensive verification and streamlining of the pension system. Dr Ato said pension was a right and reward for decades of government service and genuine pensioners must receive their dues on time and with dignity. However, concerns over unauthorised or ineligible pension drawals warranted verification.
Of the 63,370 pensioners, 31,714 receive pensions through SBI-CPPC and 31,656 through State Treasuries, including 20,406 life pensioners and 11,250 family pensioners. The largest age group comprises 26,405 pensioners aged 60-69, while 18,644 are below 59, 13,542 are 70-79, 4,158 are 80-89, 602 are 90-99 and 19 are aged 100 or above.
Pension expenditure rose from Rs.2,429.56 cr in 2023-24 to Rs.2,633.24 crore in 2024-25 and Rs.2,679.12 cr in 2025-26. Of the latest expenditure, Rs.2,356.56 cr was spent on life pensions and Rs.322.56 cr on family pensions. During 2026-27, Rs.1,049.63 cr had been disbursed up to July.
Verification sought: Dr Ato raised concerns over delayed reporting of deaths, annual physical verification, remarriage of family pensioners, duplicate pension accounts and possible misuse of lost Pension Payment Order books. He also sought verification of pensioners residing outside Nagaland and greater coordination between Accountant General offices. He called for physical and Aadhaar-linked biometric verification of all life and family pensioners through Jeevan Pramaan. He proposed a Finance department-led committee, with representatives from P&AR, Treasuries and AG, to audit pension records.
He also proposed a centralised online pension portal, periodic updating of employees’ dependant details and a deadline of December 31, 2026 or March 31, 2027, for reporting fraudulent pension drawals. Rhütso urged strict action against those issuing fraudulent certificates, saying the exercise aimed to protect genuine pensioners while safeguarding the exchequer.