Future pension reimbursements to banks strictly contingent upon their performance & progress: Harpal Singh Cheema
Finance Minister issues firm directives for immediate software integration & JPP compliance
Delays in pension processing unacceptable, banks told to fix systems immediately: Harpal Singh Cheema
CHANDIGARH, 9th April 2026:
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema chaired a high-level review meeting with banks to assess delays and critical pending issues related to the Pensioner Sewa Portal, taking stock of missed timelines, incomplete tasks, and system gaps. He issued strict directives for immediate compliance, accelerated integration, and clearance of pending cases, while making it clear that future pension reimbursements would be strictly linked to the banks’ performance and tangible progress.
Providing a comprehensive update on the situation, Finance Minister Cheema detailed the government’s stance, past actions, and strict future expectations from all participating financial institutions.
Addressing the bankers, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated, “I have been closely monitoring this situation since our initial meeting on December 24, 2025, where banks committed to various timelines for completing tasks related to the portal. Following a review held under the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance on February 2, 2026, it was clearly observed that the banks had not fully adhered to the given timelines. Accordingly, the timelines were extended and revised strictly as per the request of the banks themselves.”
Recalling his intervention in a later meeting, Harpal Singh Cheema said, “In the review held on February 26, 2026, it was decided to release the pension reimbursement claims for November 2025 to the banks, but this was subject to the strict condition that the banks complete the Jeevan Pramaan Patras (JPPs) for the remaining pensioners and submit the pending PPO PDFs by March 31, 2026. The release of claims for all subsequent months was made entirely contingent upon the tangible progress achieved by the banks.”
He shared, “I can confirm that all e-scrolls for November 2025 have been uploaded by the banks for reimbursement, and the payments have been successfully released by the State across the board. There is a need for accelerated action regarding the submission of Digital Life Certificates through Jeevan Pramaan Patras and the integration of the Pensioner Sewa Portal with bank software. The integration of the portal with bank software has been successfully completed by Punjab & Sind Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, and Canara Bank.”
Laying out clear directives, the Finance Minister said, “The banks must upload the scrolls correct in all respects, following the standard operating procedures and strictly as per the calculations and formulas fixed in the Pensioner Sewa Portal so that the scrolls may be approved at the earliest.”
Emphasising urgency, Harpal Singh Cheema added, “Banks must prioritise providing the pending PPO PDFs and approving the pending provisional pensioners without delay. They must also actively remove any discrepancies raised by the District Treasury Officers in the uploaded scrolls. Completing the integration of the bank’s software with our portal at the earliest is absolutely imperative.”
Concluding the meeting, the Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema instructed the banks to accurately mark NRIs on the portal and upload the notarized Life Certificates submitted by them. He stated that banks must decisively accept or reject the JPP requests currently pending at their level. Further, banks must make the requisite changes in their internal systems immediately to avoid any undue rejections or acceptance of JPPs in the future.
The Finance Minister was accompanied by the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, Alok Shekhar, Additional Director, Treasury and Account, Simarjeet Kaur and other senior officials of the Finance department.
