Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Kohima: Nagaland NPP MLA Tseilhoutuo Rhutso demanded a total overhaul of the state pension system on September 1. He cited a massive Rs 2,679.12 crore expenditure for 2025-26. The costs are climbing. Spending jumped from Rs 2,429.56 crore in 2023-24, with another Rs 1,049.63 crore already gone by July of the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Rhutso raised the alarm during Zero Hour in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. He noted that 63,370 retired government employees and their nominees currently draw benefits. Of that group, 31,714 use SBI-CPPC while 31,656 process payments through state treasuries. Among them, 11,449 pensioners are 70 or older. This includes 450 people over 90 and 19 centenarians. The MLA argued that "pension was a right and a reward for government service" and insisted that genuine recipients deserve timely, dignified payments.
The MLA warned of ghost payments and systemic leaks. He suspects ineligible beneficiaries are collecting cash due to unverified credentials and delayed death reports. He also flagged potential duplication between the state treasury and SBI-CPPC, as well as unverified remarriage claims. Rhutso wants the state to scrutinize pensioners living outside Nagaland and verify all life and marriage certificates.
To fix the leak, Rhutso proposed Aadhaar-linked biometric verification and a wider rollout of the Jeevan Pramaan digital system. He called for a high-level committee under the Finance Department to audit the entire operation. He suggested a new central online portal to catch cross-state double dipping. The proposal includes a firm deadline of December 31, 2026, or March 31, 2027, to report fraudulent withdrawals. Excess payments must be clawed back. Speaker Sharingain Longkumer noted that Zero Hour issues are not for open debate, though members may pursue them later.
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