(1) An acknowledgement shall be sent to the complainant within three working days of the receipt of the grievance by the concerned entity so identified for the purpose. The acknowledgement shall contain the name and designation and contact details of the officer who shall be dealing with the grievance received.
(2) The complainant shall be provided with a unique grievance number for future reference for every grievance registered. The grievance redressal proceedings of the complaint shall be deemed to have commenced on the first date of receipt of the grievance by an intermediary.
(3) In case the complaint received does not pertain to the intermediary to which the same has been lodged, the complaint shall be transferred to the concerned intermediary within three working days, under intimation to the complainant.
(4) Where the intermediaries under National Pension System or any other pension scheme regulated by Authority has resolved the complaint, within three working days, it may communicate the resolution along with the acknowledgement to the complainant.
(5) Every grievance shall be disposed off within a period of thirty days of its receipt and a final reply shall be sent to the complainant, containing details of resolution or rejection of the complaint, with reasons thereof recorded in writing.
(6) The intermediary under National Pension System or any other pension scheme regulated by Authority, while disposing off the complaint, shall inform the complainant the manner in which he or she may pursue the complaint, if dissatisfied with such resolution or rejection, as the case may be.
(7) If the complainant is not satisfied with the redressal of his grievances or if it has not been resolved by the intermediary by the end of thirty days of the filing of the complaint, he may escalate the grievance to the National Pension System Trust in accordance with the provisions contained in regulation 10. If the grievance remains unresolved after its receipt at the National Pension System Trust, on the expiry of a period of thirty days from the receipt thereof, the complainant may file a representation with the Ombudsman to be appointed by the Authority under these regulations for redressal of the grievances of the complainant, within such period as has been specified for the purpose:
Provided that provisions of this sub-regulation, shall not apply where the complaint is directly in relation to a grievance against the National Pension System Trust and no other intermediary:
Provided further that where the complaint is directly against the National Pension System Trust and no other intermediary, the National Pension Trust shall resolve the grievance of the subscriber in the manner and within the period specified under this regulation [except under sub-regulation (7)] and if the grievance remains unresolved, the complainant may file an appeal with the Ombudsman to be appointed by the Authority under these regulations for redressal of the grievances of the complainant, within such period as has been specified for the purpose.
(8) Any intermediary under the National Pension System and any other pension scheme regulated by the Authority is required to maintain records of each complaint received by it and the measures taken by it for its redressal.
(9) The intermediary under the National Pension System and other pension scheme regulated by the Authority is also required to submit periodic reports to the National Pension System Trust or Authority as may be specified from time to time.
(10) Any failure on the part of intermediary under National Pension System or any other pension scheme to follow the above-mentioned procedures and time-frames shall involve such penalties or other actions as may be imposed or taken by the Authority in accordance with the provisions of the Act, in addition to any compensation that may be required to be paid to the subscriber by such intermediary.
18 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART III—SEC. 4]