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.