Excelsior Correspondent
AGRA, Feb 2: Addressing a gathering of pensioners and elder citizens organized by “Uttar Pradesh Civil Pensioners’ Association” here today, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that pensioners outnumber working Government employees in India today, but instead of looking at them as a liability on State exchequer, they should rather be considered an asset because of their fit status of health at the time of superannuation which enables them to continue contributing constructively in the process of nation building for several years even after retirement.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said, this is a unique feature of India of 2015 that while on the one hand, more than 65% of the country’s population is below the age of 35, on the other hand, due to increase in lifespan and better health care, the population above the age of 60 is active, mature and experienced enough to contribute in various spheres of life by working shoulder to shoulder with their younger colleagues. Keeping this in consideration, he added, the Department of Pensions under him is devising new mechanisms and means to involve ex-officials of Government departments in various activities after retirement depending upon their expertise, aptitude and field of experience.
While on one hand, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, the Pensions Department will make arrangements for delivery of pension at the doorstep for those of the retired Government employees who are too old or ailing to physically move around freely, on the other hand the Department will also ensure that those of the employees, who are still young at 60, do not go waste after superannuation.
Dr. Jitendra Singh referred to his various interactions with different groups of organizations of pensioners from across the country and said that he has issued instructions for engaging the retiring employees in department activities in one way or the other, either voluntarily or informally or through other suitable mechanism which could be of mutual benefit to both the sides.
86 year old Fakir Chandra Sharma, General Secretary, UP Pensioners Association and Chowdhary Udaybhan Singh, former legislator who had organized the function, congratulated Dr. Jitendra Singh’s concern for this section of population and referred to a famous recent anecdote wherein the Minister had cleared the family pension case of a 90 year old widow within a record time of four days while it had remained pending for the past over two decades.
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