The modifications as under Senior Citizen’s Savings (Fourth Amendment) Scheme, 2023 defines the following norms. Check them out.
New Delhi: The Central Government has announced modification to Senior Citizen’s Savings Scheme.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3A of the Government Savings Promotion Act, 1873 (5 of 1873), the Central Government hereby makes the following Scheme to further amend the Senior Citizen’s Savings Scheme, 2019,” said an official release.
The modifications as under Senior Citizen’s Savings (Fourth Amendment) Scheme, 2023 defines the following norms.
1. Individual who has attained the age of fifty-five years or more but less than sixty years, and who has retired on superannuation or otherwise on the date of opening of an account under this Scheme, subject to the condition that the account is opened by such individual within three months from the date of receipt of the retirement benefits and proof of date of disbursal of such retirement benefits along with a certificate from the employer indicating the details of retirement on superannuation or otherwise, retirement benefits or admissible financial assistance to an eligible government employee who died in harness, employment held and period of such employment with the employer, is attached with the application form: Provided that the retired personnel of Defence Services (excluding Civilian Defence employees) shall be eligible to open an account under this Scheme on attaining the age of fifty years subject to the fulfilment of other specified conditions.
2. Provided further that the spouse of the government employee shall be allowed to open an account under this Scheme, if the government employee who has attained the age of fifty years and has died in harness, subject to the fulfillment of other specified conditions.
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3. “Retirement benefits” means any payment due to the account holder on account of retirement on superannuation or otherwise and includes Provident Fund dues, retirement or superannuation or death gratuity, commuted value of pension, cash equivalent of leave, savings element of Group Savings Linked Insurance Scheme payable by the employer on retirement, retirement-cum-withdrawal benefit under the Employees’ Family Pension Scheme and ex-gratia payments under a voluntary or a special voluntary retirement scheme and in case, if the employee died in harness, the “retirement benefits” shall also mean the above mentioned benefits to employee who died in harness.’.
4. In case of an account extended after maturity under sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 8, the deposit in such account shall earn interest at the rate applicable to the Scheme on the date of maturity or on the date of extended maturity.
5. In case the account is closed before expiry of one year from the date of extension as mentioned in subparagraph (2), an amount equal to one per cent. of the deposit shall be deducted and the balance shall be paid to the account holder.
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6. The deposit made at the time of opening of account shall be paid on or after the expiry of five years or after the expiry of each block period of three years where account was extended under paragraph 8 from the date of opening of account, on an application made in Form-3: Provided that after closure of the existing account or accounts, new account or accounts may be opened again as required by the depositor subject to the maximum deposit limit as mentioned in sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 4.
7. Provided further that in case of a joint account, or where the spouse is the sole nominee, the spouse may continue the account by applying to the accounts office, on the same terms and conditions as specified under this Scheme, if the spouse meets eligibility conditions under the Scheme on the date of death of the account holder.
8. The account holder may extend the account for a further block period of three years by making an application in Form-4 within a period of one year from the date of maturity or from the date of end of each block period of three years.
9. The extension of the account under sub-paragraph (1) shall be deemed to have been made from the date of maturity or from the date of end of each block period of three years, irrespective of the date of application.
10. In sub-paragraph (3), for the words “only once”, the words “in block period of three years” shall be substituted.
