Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare has taken a number of initiatives towards improving pensioners’ welfare which include digitization of various pension related activities. The department has taken steps to reach out to all pensioners through various modes and spread awareness about its initiatives, thus enabling all pensioners to use the benefits designed for them.
With a view to dispense information and also to understand issues faced by pensioners as well as dwell on any suggestions forwarded by them, DoPPW has been holding awareness programs for pensioners in online mode as well as through physical meetings. Under the Pensioners’ Portal, DoPPW presently has 50 Pensioners’ Associations registered with it across the country.
As part of the outreach program to pensioners, DoPPW has commenced a series of meetings with the registered Pensioners’ Associations, online as well as physically, at regular intervals. As part of this series, a meeting was held at Pune with members of two registered Pensioners’ Associations, viz. All India Central Government Pensioners’ Association and Defence Accounts Pensioners’ Association, for which Shri V Srinivas, Secretary (P&PW) and Shri Sanjiv Narain Mathur, Additional Secretary, DoPPW visited Pune on 21st July, 2023.
During the interaction, Secretary (P&PW) apprised the Association members of the various initiatives taken by the department including holding of a Nationwide DLC Campaign, Nationwide Pension Adalats for on-the-spot resolution of long-standing grievances and Anubhav Portal in which write-ups submitted by retirees are published. He informed members about CPENGRAMS, an online grievance registration portal of the department. He reiterated the important role of Pensioners’ Associations in spreading the message about the initiatives taken by DoPPW and pro-actively working towards digital education of pensioners in the remotest areas. He took feedback from the Associations and appreciated this interaction with knowledgeable members of the associations. He informed the participants about ANUBHAV Awards and ANUBHAV Awardees speak programs of the department.
Shri V Srinivas, Secretary (P&PW) reiterated the importance of Life of Dignity for pensioners and keeping in view the importance of this area, the initiatives taken by DoPPW towards simplification of pension processes such as holding of DLC Awareness Campaign. Secretary (P&PW) talked about the importance of such interactions with Pensioners’ Associations to identify a new road map. He talked about stronger collaboration with Banks who are committed towards providing comfort to pensioners through timely and correct payment of pension.
Shri Sanjiv Narain Mathur, Additional Secretary, DoPPW, shared the initiative of the department related to holding of a Nationwide DLC Campaign to enable reach out to pensioners in the remotest corners, with special emphasis on hospitalized and incapacitated pensioners. He informed that the previous Nationwide DLC Campaign held in November 2022, at 37 locations across the country had enabled generation of more than 35 lakh DLCs of Central Government pensioners and a similar Campaign is proposed to be held in November 2023 at 100 locations, in which Pensioners’ Associations would be actively involved, being an extended arm of the department.
Principal Controller of Defence Accounts, Dr. Rajiv Chavan informed that in order to make life of pensioners easier, all retirees should be made technologically aware before retirement with regard to use of devices such as Smart Phones. They should be sensitized about the benefits due to them, investment avenues, insurances and other such matters. He spoke about the importance of such interactions on a common platform where pension issues can be discussed and about the necessity of a human touch at all Service Centers, with the ‘we’ approach. As regards educating pensioners, the same could be done through the various Sainik Kalyan Boards and personal interaction with the pensioners. PCDA Pune celebrated the Pensioners’ Day elaborately on 17th of December every year as a mark of respect and regards towards pensioners.
Shri H. F. Chaudhari, General Secretary, All India Central Government Pensioners’ Association, Pune and Ms. Rajalakshmi Devarajan, President, Defence Accounts Pensioners’ Association, Pune gave detailed information about the structure of their Associations and the activities undertaken by them which included dissemination of pension orders, regular meetings with the members and resolution of their grievances by taking up the same with the concerned offices. They informed the various modes of disseminating information and interacting with members through WhatApp groups, Newsletters and various Social Media platforms. They assured complete support and participation in all initiatives of DoPPW including the proposed Nationwide DLC Campaign. Both the Associations expressed their gratitude at the initiatives taken by DoPPW such as DLC Awareness Campaign and benefits of Family Pension to eligible daughters.
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