12,000 GP Fund claims stuck in Kashmir treasuries; employees in crisis

Srinagar, Aug 22: Thousands of government employees across Kashmir are facing an unprecedented delay in accessing their General Provident (GP) Fund savings, as over 12,000 withdrawal claims remain pending with the Department of Treasuries.

The delay, as officially acknowledged in a Right to Information (RTI) reply, is primarily due to the non-availability of funds at the treasury level, leaving employees stranded during times of personal and financial crisis.

The RTI reply received by this correspondent from the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Department of Treasuries reveals that a total of 12,062 GP Fund withdrawal claims are currently pending across J&K.

Of these, 7359 have been awaiting clearance for over three months, with many cases held up despite administrative approvals being in place.

The reply states that most of these are stuck due to “non-availability of funds at treasuries,” confirming long-standing concerns among employees that the problem is no longer procedural, but financial.

Employees, many of whom have contributed to the GP Fund for decades, say the delay has disrupted crucial life events.

A teacher posted in Budgam said he applied for GP Fund withdrawal four months ago for his daughter’s marriage in October.

“They deducted my salary for 25 years, and now, when I need my money, I am told the treasury has no funds. I don’t understand how a government can hold back our savings,” the teacher said.

An employee of the Health Department, Zahida said her Rs 1.8 lakh claim, submitted in April for her mother’s cancer treatment, was still pending.

“We waited for weeks before realising nothing was moving. I had to borrow money from relatives. It’s traumatic because we don’t even know when, or if, the money will be released,” she said.

The GP Fund is a compulsory long-term savings mechanism for government employees, meant to support them during retirement or urgent financial needs like education, health emergencies, and marriages.

However, the growing number of pending claims has raised concerns about the fiscal health and planning within the Finance Department.

A senior treasury official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the severity of the issue.

“We receive funds in instalments from the Finance Department, which are insufficient to meet the rising number of claims. Only emergency cases are being prioritised now,” he said.

Employee associations have expressed outrage over the delays, calling them unjust and exploitative.

Despite assurances of “efforts underway” to clear the backlog, many employees remain sceptical, fearing further delay.