Amid growing public concern and media reports surrounding alleged delays in pension disbursement, the Office of the Principal Accountant General (Accounts & Entitlement), Nagaland, today clarified its position and reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, timely service and institutional integrity.
Addressing a press conference, Senior Deputy Accountant General (Sr DAG) Kahoto J Yepthomi emphasized that the AG’s Office is a constitutionally established, independent body under the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, and not under any State or Central ministry.
He disclosed that Nagaland has two AGs—AG (Audit) and AG (Accounts & Entitlement). He stressed
while the AG (Audit) reviews how public funds are used, the AG (Accounts & Entitlement) is responsible for compiling state accounts, authorizing pensions and General Provident Fund (GPF) and pay entitlement of gazette officers, besides preparing the annual Finance and Appropriation Accounts presented before the Nagaland Legislative Assembly every year.
Refuting claims in a recent news report, he clarified that the AG is not the custodian of state finances. “The state government is the custodian of its finances. The AG acts as the accountant. We receive expenditure vouchers and receipts after the government has spent the money,” he explained.
Addressing concerns about delay in pension, Yepthomi explained that the pension sanctioning authority is the department in which the employee served. He said it is the responsibility of the concerned department to prepare and forward complete pension papers to the AG’s office, only then the AG (A&E) authorize the pension or family pension.
He highlighted that after receiving allegations, they had checked records of last 12 months, but during the period, 3927 pension cases were received, out of which 3515 were settled within 30 working days.
He said it is approximately 90% settled as per Citizen Charter, adding that they analyzed 3972 cases, out of which 2145 cases were submitted by the departments within 0-6 months of retirement, 922 cases after 7-12 months and 590 cases after a year of retirement.
He underscored that as per the pension rule, departments should submit documents to AG before six months of retirement. “If department submits documents before 6 months of retirement it is the responsibility of AG to settle the pension cases before the day of retirement. None of the cases reached AG before the retirement as per last 12 months data,” he stated.
He further disclosed that there are instances where pension cases were submitted more than five years after retirement, often due to negligence or lack of awareness on the part of the pensioners or their departments.
On the much-discussed case of retired police officer Longshithung Lotha, Yepthomi clarified that the pension file was received on June 6, 2022, and settled by July 2, 2022—within 20 working days and even on a non-working Saturday.
He mentioned that the delay in disbursing Lotha’s Death-cum-Retirement Gratuity (DCRG) and Leave Encashment was due to issues relating to Dearness Allowance (DA), which had been frozen during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Yepthomi admitted that part of the delay was due to the retirement of a dealing assistant in the AG’s Office, which caused a temporary communication gap. However, the arrears were released after the matter was brought to their attention in April 2025.
He emphasized that the issue was blown out of proportion and pointed out that the AG Office handled the case in accordance with its mandate and charter.
Yepthomi acknowledged manpower constraints in the department. Of the 139 sanctioned posts, the office currently has 107 personnel, of which 12 are Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) and only 95 staff managing core responsibilities of the A&E wing.
He also said that during the 1980s and 1990s, Nagaland witnessed major pension fraud, leading to introduction of a system confirmation mechanism. He said departments were advised to appoint nodal officers as well, however, there were delays even after appointment. He also informed that a significant breakthrough came when the AG Office gained access to the state Government’s Personnel Information Management System (PIMS), which now enables instant digital verification of pensioners’ identity and status.
Responding to claims that Group C and D employees face more delays compared to officers, Yepthomi said departments must ensure timely paperwork, especially for Group C and D staff, who are most vulnerable and dependent on pensions for post-retirement livelihood.
“The real people who need pension on time are Group C and D employees. If officers are getting it on time, why not them?,” he asked.
Yepthomi further said that the first responsibility lies with the departments, which must submit complete documentation, as the AG’s role only begins after receipt of complete papers.
On transparency, Yepthomi informed that the Right to Information (RTI) Act was notified in the AG’s Office on October 5, 200 and in the last five years, the office received 56 RTI applications, all of which have been disposed of.
Download Nagaland Tribune app on Google Play
For better accessibility and accountability, details of pension authorization and responsible officers are published monthly on the official AG Nagaland website and on the office notice board. Names, designations, and contact information of the Public Information Officer (PIO), Assistant PIO, Grievance Redressal Officer, and branch officers are made public online and at the reception, it was informed.
Visitors may meet AG officers any day except Wednesdays in the designated Visitors’ Room.
To register grievances:
- Visit https://cag.gov.in/ae/nagaland/en/ae-complaint-suggestion or email agaenagaland@cag.gov.in.
- If dissatisfied, escalate to the Senior Administrative Officer (Complaints) at the CAG HQ via grstate2@cag.gov.inor file through CPGRAMS.
- General queries may be directed via the “Contact Us” section on the AG website.
On the Audit Wing, Yepthomi highlighted that the Audit Wing is constitutionally mandated to audit every rupee received or spent by the state—be it from the state’s own resources, centrally sponsored schemes, grants, or externally aided projects like those funded by the World Bank, ADB, or IDBI. These audits are done on behalf of the CAG of India.
He emphasized that the vision of the CAG is to provide independent and credible assurance on public resources, and the mission is to promote accountability, transparency and good governance through high quality audits.
The department upholds professionalism, independence, objectivity, and has a strict zero-tolerance policy on corruption, he added.
The Sr. DAG further said that the AG’s Office in Nagaland remains fully committed to serving the people with honesty, efficiency, and transparency. He acknowledged shortcomings but affirmed the department’s dedication to improving its services.
He called for greater cooperation from state departments and urged citizens to engage with the AG Office constructively, reminding all that the institution exists to serve public interest under the constitutional framework.
“The mandate is clear. The facts are on record. And we are here to do our duty, with accountability to the people and the Constitution,” he said.
