Staff Reporter
Guwahati: “Retirement from government service doesn’t mean you are retired as a citizen,” said Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh in a message that resonated deeply with the hundreds of officers nearing retirement, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh, in his message.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that many officers at the age of 60 are at the prime of their energy and expertise. “So we wish to involve them in the task of nation-building and use their experiences. As the Prime Minister says, every citizen has to contribute to the making of Viksit Bharat,” he said.
The minister said that retirement from government service should not be seen as an end but as a transition into a new role as contributors and partners to nation building. Addressing the 56th Pre-Retirement Counselling (PRC) Workshop and the 9th Bankers’ Awareness Programme at the Assam Administrative Staff College in Guwahati, Dr Jitendra Singh called for a paradigm shift in the way Indian society perceives retired government servants.
The day-long event was organised by the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) in collaboration with the Assam Government. The workshop aimed to prepare civil servants for a smooth post-retirement transition, not just in terms of paperwork but also in purpose. Dr Jitendra Singh emphasized the need for institutional mechanisms that can integrate retirees into developmental roles based on their skills and inclinations. Outlining several reforms undertaken by the government over the past decade to simplify pension procedures, Dr Jitendra Singh recalled how superannuating officers earlier had to run from one office to another, often losing months before receiving their first pension payment. “That era is over,” he said. “Today, with digital PPOs, integrated pension portals like Bhavishya, and face authentication tools, we’ve eliminated procedural delays and harassment.”
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