NEW DELHI: The latest edition of the pension adalat, an initiative of the Centre to address woes of pensioners, held last month saw 490 of the 531 complaints settled on the spot, junior personnel minister Jitendra Singh said even as he hailed several women-centric reforms introduced by the Narendra Modi govt in the service rules related to pension.
Addressing the 34th meeting of the standing committee of voluntary agencies (SCOVA) here on Tuesday, Singh elaborated on women-centric reforms, saying these have enabled a childless widow to claim her deceased husband’s pension or family pension even after she remarries, and a divorced or separated daughter to claim family pension through her deceased parent if her divorce proceedings began during the lifetime of the parent, without waiting for outcome of the divorce suit.
A woman pensioner can now nominate her children for family pension, in precedence to her husband in the event of a marital discord leading to filing of divorce suit or filing of case under Protection of Domestic Violation Act or Dowry Prohibition Act, said Singh.
Lauding the success of the pension adalat initiative, Singh said it had resolved over 70% of grievances across 12 editions since its inception in 2017.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving the lives of pensioners by streamlining processes and introducing technology-driven solutions. The meeting saw deliberations on key policy reforms and digital initiatives aimed at enhancing pensioners’ welfare, ensuring ease of living, and resolving long-pending grievances.