Kolkata: The West Bengal government has decided to take over the payment of pension from the state unit of the Accounts General with effect from March 1.

The eastern Indian state’s Finance Department, Audit Branch, published a notification to that effect on January 9.

According to the notification, all those drawing pensions in the state should contact the officer-in-charge of the Pension Payment section of the office of Accounts General or treasuries or specified public sector banks within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area and furnish in a prescribed form their option for transfer of money.

The Pension Disbursement Office is located at Jahar Building, 5th Floor, P-1, Hyde Lane, Kolkata – 700 073, the notification says.

The change will cover all pensioners of the government as well as family pensioners (including non-government pensioners, other government pensioners).

The option for transfer in the prescribed format has to be completed by Jan 31, the notification said.

The notification does not clarify why the change was made.