In an interactive meet with the representatives of various Pensioners' Associations today, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh lauded senior citizens' continued engagement in nation building.
The Minister was chairing the 35th Meeting of the Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies (SCOVA) in New Delhi today. The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) is committed to the welfare of Central Government pensioners.
The Department actively coordinates with various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India for formulation of pension policies and redressal of pensioners’ grievances to ensure dignity and ease of living for Central Government pensioners.
The Department also engages closely with Pensioners’ Welfare Associations representing lakhs of pensioners across the country to ensure participatory consultation in recommending welfare measures. The Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies (SCOVA) was constituted in 1986 by the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare to institutionalize coordination between the Government and Pensioners’ Welfare Associations.
The Committee functions under the chairmanship of the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, with Secretary, Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare as its Secretary. SCOVA consists of 15 non-official members representing Pensioners’ Welfare Associations along with official members from various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India.
It provides an institutional platform for pensioners’ associations to raise issues concerning pensioners’ welfare directly before the concerned Ministries and Departments through constructive deliberations. Representatives of Pensioners’ Welfare Associations from Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Odisha, Assam, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Gujarat participated in the meeting.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Controller General of Defence Accounts, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Railways, Controller General of Communication Accounts, Department of Financial Services, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Department of Revenue and Department of Telecommunications also participated and deliberated on issues concerning pensioners’ welfare and grievance redressal.
Highlighting the active participation of senior citizens, Dr Jitendra Singh noted that their experience and suggestions play an important role in improving governance. Dr. Jitendra Singh also encouraged pensioners’ associations to share suggestions beyond grievances so that policies and services can be further strengthened.
The meeting is expected to further strengthen coordination between the Government and pensioners’ associations and contribute towards improving the ease of living for Central Government pensioners.