West Bengal Government Broadens Death Gratuity Beneficiaries to Include Stepchildren and Daughters
The West Bengal government has taken a significant step to expand the scope of death gratuity benefits for state employees. A new notification issued on Monday has amended the state's death-cum-retirement benefit rules to include stepchildren as well as widowed and divorced daughters as eligible beneficiaries.
Key Changes in the Amended Rules
The amended directive, issued by Finance Department Additional Chief Secretary PK Mishra, redefines the term "family" for the purpose of gratuity distribution. According to the new rules, in the event of an employee's death where no valid nomination exists, the gratuity funds must be distributed among all family members. This now explicitly includes stepsons and stepdaughters alongside other relatives.
The official definition of "family" under the amended rules now encompasses: "spouse, sons including stepsons, unmarried/widowed and divorced daughters including stepdaughters, brothers below the age of 18 years, and unmarried or widowed sisters, in addition to parents."
Addressing Longstanding Petitions
An official from Nabanna, the state secretariat, revealed that the government had been receiving numerous petitions from widowed and divorced daughters seeking a share in these death benefits. The amendment directly addresses these concerns by formally including them in the beneficiary list.
The directive further clarifies that any pending cases involving divorced or widowed daughters, where the employee's death occurred before the enforcement of this notification, may be considered and disposed of by the administrative department in light of these new rules.
Nomination Process and Employee Rights
An official explained the nomination process, stating that an employee can nominate any family member or even a non-relative and assign their respective shares of the gratuity. "This confers the right to receive any gratuity sanctioned by the government in the event of death while in service," the official emphasized.
The new rules ensure that when no valid nomination exists, the distribution follows the expanded family definition, providing financial security to a broader range of dependents.
