The Department of Pension & Pensioner’s Welfare held its first interactive
Conference with the State Secretaries (Pension) here today with the objective
of sharing information, experience and best practices on pension matters.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances &
Pensions stated that Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare is working
with the vision of ensuring a life of dignity for Pensioners. The goal is to
ensure 100% payment of all retirement dues and the delivery of Pension Payment
Order to retiring employees on the day of retirement itself. To this end the
Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare has taken a number of steps
including review of forms, simplification of procedures and issue of
clarificatory instructions thereof etc. An online Pension Sanction &
Payment Tracking System called BHAVISHYA has been launched. By ensuring
complete transparency, this system would obviate delays in sanction and payment
of pension.
In furtherance of what the Prime Minister has
been insisting upon, i.e. benefits to reach to all the States and not merely
restricted to Centre, the Department of P&PW, for the first time, convened
a meeting with Pension Secretaries of State Governments with intention to share
experiences and exchange views on common pension related issues and also to
impress upon them that the vision of ensuring life of dignity for pensioners,
passes on the State government pensioners too.
Invoking PM’s mantra of “Skills, Scale and
Speed”, Dr Jitendra Singh, MOS(PP)stated that the Department of Pension should
look into the urgent need to utilize the skill and experience of the pensioners
for the betterment of the Society. This was specially necessary in view of the
increase in the number of retiring employees and increased life span.
Dr. Jitendra Singh further suggested that pre
retirement counseling workshops which are being institutionalized by the
Department of Pensions for the Central Government retiring employees should
also be organized by the State Government for the state employees. Workshops
should also be geared to prepare even the younger employees to be ready to face
life after retirement. He opined for old and disabled pensioners, there should
be a mechanism for delivering pension at the doorstep.
The Workshop was attended by 23 States /UTs. The
response of the participants was very enthusiastic and they complimented
Secretary (AR& PG and Pensions) Shri Sanjay Kothari for the same. There was
a general request for regular interactions of this nature.
Click for
photographs here.
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KSD/BK/ASY