DoPT to conduct regular pre-retirement counseling workshops
As the number of Central Government pensioners is increasing, the Modi Government has planned to reengage them in large numbers and use their expertise and experiences in the smooth running of the minimum Government for a maximum governance effect.
Given that a retiring Government employee is very often unprepared to face a post-retirement life without a daily routine and a meaningful existence, especially just the day after he retires, the Government is looking for ways to engage the retired employees in meaningful social work. The financial requirements are by and large taken care of by the regular monthly pension payments which are also inflation-indexed but what hurts is a sense of not being wanted anymore and the lack of a daily routine., Minister of State (DoPT) Jitendra Singh told media persons on Tuesday.
He said the retirement issue is to be handled with a social mindset. “The DoPT Pensioners’ Welfare will conduct pre-retirement counseling for retirees. The issue of retirement is to be handled with social mindset. The society should feel good about it and the issue is too large to handle by the government itself and I hope that social organisation should come forward to help,” Singh said at the presser convened to talk on his ministry’s 100 days’ achievement.
The DoPT would conduct regular pre-retirement counseling workshops for retiring personnel a couple of months before the retirement date. The topics to be covered are formalities for timely payment of retirement dues, financial planning for the amounts received at retirement, preperration of Will, the CGHS facilities after retirement and post-retirement opportunities through Sankalp — a programme already initiated by the department.
According to a DoPT official, there are approximately 40,000 fresh retirees every year from the Central Government Civil establishments alone and this could be close to one lakh including defence, railways, posts and telecom.
Sankalp would serve as a platform for exchange of information between retiring employees and voluntary or other organisations working towards building society looking for expertise, skill and maturity which can be offered by these retired government servants.
Further, counting on his Ministry’s 100 days’ achievements, the Minister informed that many initiatives to implement the agenda of good governance were simplified. The promotion of self certification in place of affidavits was a significant step towards making life easier for the common man and placing trust in its citizens, cognisant of the need of the differently abled children, the Ministry accorded exemptions to parents of such children from mandatory transfers. Singh also stated that his Ministry had shown incredible speed in facilitating the setting up of the State administrative machinery in the newly created state of Telengana.