Digitisation Initiatives by the Centre Simplify Life for Pensioners
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New Delhi, Dec 29 (NationPress) The Centre has introduced a variety of initiatives in 2024 designed to enhance the welfare of pensioners, simplify grievance redressal, and encourage digitisation in pension procedures, according to the year-end review by the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) released on Sunday.
The largest campaign ever focused on improving the welfare of pensioners was held in India from November 1 to 30, 2024, across 800 cities with 1,950 camps and 1,100 Nodal Officers, resulting in the generation of 1.30 crore Digital Life Certificates (DLCs).
Out of these, 39.18 lakh DLCs, accounting for over 30 percent, were created using face authentication technology, marking a 200-fold increase compared to the DLC 2.0 Campaign. This was particularly advantageous for elderly pensioners with faded fingerprints, differently abled individuals facing mobility challenges, and pensioners in rural and remote locations. Pensioners aged 80 and above submitted 8 lakh DLCs.
Among banks, the State Bank of India produced 11 lakh DLCs, followed by IPPB with 7.5 lakh DLCs and PNB with 2.75 lakh DLCs.
The review also indicates that the 100-day action plan of the Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare was effectively executed this year. This plan included a month-long campaign that successfully addressed 1,737 family pensioners' grievances.
Additionally, directives were issued to raise the maximum limit of retirement gratuity and death gratuity for central government employees from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, contingent on the Dearness Allowance rates reaching 50 percent.
The review emphasizes that over 1.06 lakh grievances from pensioners across 90 Ministries and Departments were resolved, which included 21,860 family pension cases and 9,818 super senior pensioner cases.
The average resolution time for grievances has been reduced from 36 days in 2018 to 26 days in 2024. Currently, only 0.54 percent of grievances are pending for more than six months.
Monthly reports on grievances were introduced, ranking Ministries/Departments based on their performance in grievance resolution. New features now include tracking grievances by their source (online, postal, or call center) and the average time taken for resolution.
Moreover, a new Single Unified Pension Application Form 6-A was launched by consolidating 9 pension forms into a single integrated pension form under CCS (Pension) Rules 2021. Around 3,200 pensioners utilized the new Form 6A on Bhavishya, simplifying the process and enhancing convenience for pensioners.
