Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Massive Success of Special Campaign on Family Pension Grievances
Month-long initiative resolves 92% of family pension cases
Posted On: 02 AUG 2024 5:30PM
Introduction
Timely and seamless pension disbursal is not just a financial assistance but a testament to the invaluable contributions of individuals who have dedicated their careers to public service. Honoring their expertise and experience at the peak of their careers can drive national development and progress.
Aimed in the same direction, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on 01st July 2024, launched a month-long special campaign for redressal of the Family Pension Grievances by the Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare (DOPPW).
The month-long Special Campaign achieved an incredible 92% of the target with 1,737 out of 1,891 identified family pension cases successfully resolved.
A Glance at the Success of Month-long Special Campaign
- Start of Special Campaign
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the special campaign for redressal of the Family Pension Grievances, as part of the 100-day action plan on 1st July 2024.
At the end of the first week of the campaign, the coordinated efforts of stakeholders resolved 1,034 out of 1,891 family pension cases (over 54%), reducing the pendency to 857.
By the end of the second, over 60% of the target was achieved, with 1,140 out of 1,891 identified family pension cases resolved.
The campaign by the end of the third week achieved 73% targeted mark, with the redressal of 1,375 family pension cases, out of the total 1,891 family pension cases.
- End of Special Campaign - 92%
By the end of the campaign, over 92% of the target was achieved, with 1,737 out of the 1,891 identified family pension cases resolved.
The remaining cases will be addressed by individual ministries and departments following the conclusion of the campaign.
Understanding the Relevance of Mega Initiative
The special campaign identified 1,891 family pension-related grievances registered on the Centralized Pension Grievances Redress and Monitoring System (CPENGRAMS) portal, that fall under the purview of 46 Departments/ Ministries.
The campaign's success was driven by the collaborative efforts of a wide range of stakeholders. Key contributors included the Secretaries of the Departments of Pension and Pensioners Welfare and Ex-Servicemen’s Welfare, the DG BSF, the Controller General of Accounts, and the Deputy Managing Director of the State Bank of India.
Additionally, Nodal Public Grievance Officers from all 46 Ministries and Departments, representatives from all Pension Disbursing Banks, and Pensioners’ Welfare Associations played a crucial role in the campaign’s achievement. Their combined efforts ensured a comprehensive and effective approach to addressing pensioners' needs.
Most of the grievances were related to Defence Pensioners, Railway Pensioners, and CAPFs Pensioners under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). A significant number also involved banking issues, which were addressed during the campaign.
CPENGRAMS: One-stop Destination for Pension Grievance Redressal
The Centralized Pension Grievances Redress and Monitoring System (CPENGRAMS) is an online computerized platform designed to expedite the resolution and effective monitoring of pension-related issues while providing quick access for pensioners.
At present, around 90,000 cases are being registered on CPENGRAMS in a year. The grievances can be registered either directly on the portal of the redressal website URL: https://www.pgportal.gov.in/PENSION/ by the applicant or by DOPPW on receipt of details through e-mail, and Toll-free number 1800-11-1960.
Notably, this campaign significantly reduced the number of pending family pension cases, which presently make up about 20-25% of all grievances registered annually on the CPENGRAMS platform.
Mission-mode work by CPENGRAMS
Between July 2023 and June 2024, the CPENGRAMS portal received a total of 95,242 grievances, including 5,613 carried over from previous periods.
During this period, 91,934 pension grievance cases were resolved. As of June 30, 2024, there remains a backlog of 8,921 cases. In June 2024, the CPENGRAMS portal received 7,557 pension grievance cases, of which 7,432 were successfully redressed.
Key Facets of Family Pension Grievances of Campaign
- Ease of living for pensioners: Special 100-day campaign for grievance redressal of family pension-related matters
- Delivering Government Services at Doorstep - Collaboration between the Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare (DPPW) and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to provide pension services directly to pensioners' doorsteps
- Digital Empowerment of Pensioners: Integration of Bhavishya with e-HRMS
- Improving Pensioners Welfare
- Issue of Guidelines for National Digital Life Certificate (DLC) Campaign 3.0
- All India Pension Adalat
- Pre-retirement counseling workshops
- Initiative for family pensioners
- Widow: Family pension to a childless window continues even after remarriage if her income from other sources is below the minimum family pension threshold
- Daughter: Family pension is payable to dependent unmarried, widowed, or divorced daughters beyond the age of 25 years
- Divorced daughters are eligible for family pension, even if a divorce takes place (after the death of parents), provided divorce proceedings were filed during the lifetime of parents
- Female Pensioners: Female government servant/ female pensioner can nominate their children for family pension in precedence to her husband in the event of martial discord
Landmark Pension Redressal Initiatives by the Government of India
- Nationwide Digital Life Certificate Campaign 2.0: In November 2023, a nationwide campaign held across 602 locations in 105 cities involved collaboration with 16 Pension Disbursing Banks, Ministries/Departments, 44 Pensioners’ Welfare Associations, UIDAI, MeitY, PIB, and DD News. The initiative generated Digital Life Certificates (DLCs), facilitated by the Face Authentication Technology introduced in November 2021. This technology enabled pensioners to submit DLCs using Android smartphones, significantly reducing reliance on external devices.
- All India Pension Adalats: To focus on pensioners' grievances, Pension Adalats were introduced as an alternative platform for resolving pension-related issues. It aims to reduce reliance on the Court or Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The first Adalat was held on September 20, 2017, in New Delhi, and the latest occurred on October 23, 2023. In 2023, two Pension Adalats were conducted on May 17, 2023, and October 23, 2023. Notably, over 70% of pension grievances have been resolved from 2017 to 2024. During this period, 10 Pension Adalats were held, addressing a total of 24,926 cases and resolving 17,760 of them.
- Integrated Pensioners’ Portal (IPP): The Pensioners’ Portal was created to improve communication and provide updated pension information. The Bhavishya Portal ranked 3rd in the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) 2021. This single window portal integrates with major banks like State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, and Bank of Baroda, offering services such as Monthly Pension Slip, Life Certificate status, Form 16 submission, and Due & Drawn Statement for pension arrears.
- National DLC Portal: A National Digital Life Certificate (DLC) portal was launched to oversee the Nationwide DLC Campaign 2.0. Of the 70 lakh Central Government pensioners, over 38 lakh have already submitted Digital Life Certificates (DLCs), including 9.60 lakh using Face Authentication. DLC submissions are ongoing. These campaigns play a crucial role in disseminating information about government initiatives, fostering closer ties between the government and pensioners.
- Pre-Retirement Counseling (PRC) Workshop: Under the 'Sankalp' initiative, the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare conducts Pre-Retirement Counselling (PRC) workshops nationwide, aimed at facilitating government officials nearing retirement. These workshops are a pivotal step towards enhancing the 'Ease of Living' for pensioners. Participants receive comprehensive information on retirement benefits and the pension sanction process. In 2023, the department organized 3 PRCs, adding to a total of 52 workshops conducted so far, benefitting 8,922 officials.
Conclusion
The significant chunk of the population aged above 60, demands our attention and care. These types of special family pension redressal initiatives create a crucial socio-economic impact by enabling senior citizens to lead dignified lives. This proactive approach by the government of India marks a significant stride in empowering women, particularly widows, and unmarried or divorced daughters, by addressing their pension-related grievances effectively.
It is an essential acknowledgment of the vital role senior citizens play in our society. Their accumulated expertise and wisdom, honed over years of service, are invaluable assets that can contribute immensely to the nation's development.
References:
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Santosh Kumar/ Sarla Meena/ Sheetal Angral/ Ritu Kataria/ Abhinandan Sharma
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