The Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare took following 3 important policy initiatives for Improving Pensioners Welfare:

1. The 53^rd Pre-Retirement Counselling Workshop for the benefit of Central Government Employees, posted across Gujarat who are going to retire during the next 12 months, was held in Ahmedabad on 05.03.2024. In the workshop, over 300 retiring officials from 14 Central Government Ministries/ Departments were provided relevant information related to the retirement benefits and pension sanction process. Various sessions on BHAVISHYA Portal, Integrated Pensioners Portal, Retirement Benefits, Family Pension, CGHS, Income Tax Rules, ANUBHAV, Digital Life Certificate, Investment Modes and Opportunities; etc. were conducted. Detailed sessions to enable the retirees to plan investment and healthcare under CGGHS system, CGHS portal, facilities was also held. Pension disbursing banks, SBI, PNB, Bank of Baroda and ICICI participated in a bank exhibition for retirees.
2. The 7^th Banker’s Awareness workshop for 57 officers from CPPCs and branches handling pension related work from Bank of Baroda was held in Ahmedabad on 5-6 March 2024. Senior officials of the Department interacted with the Bankers on improved coordination for redressal of Pensioner Grievances, conduct of the Digital Life Certificate Campaign and the use of Face authentication technology. This Workshop was the seventh in a series of Awareness Programs for Central Pension Processing Centers and field functionaries handling pension related work in various Banks. Several Pensioners also participated in the workshop.
3. An interactive meeting with five Pensioners’ Welfare Associations, of Gujarat, namely Posts and Telegraphs and Other Central Govt. Pensioners' Association, Ahmedabad, Kendriya Nirvutta Karmachari Mandal, Vadodara, Baroda Central Pensioners' Association, Vadodara, Central Govt. Pensioners Association, Ahmedabad & Bharat Pensioners’ Samaj was held in Ahmedabad on 05.03.2024.

Secretary, Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare, Shri V.Srinivas addressed all three events and highlighted the Government’s policies for Improving Pensioners Welfare and the emphasis on dignity of life post retirement and the thrust for Digital Empowerment of Pensioners. Senior Officials of Banks, CGHS, Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare also joined the deliberations.

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SNC/PK/PSM