Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Tuesday stated that governance and pension reforms introduced over the past 12 years are now reaching a broader spectrum of employees and pensioners in Jammu and Kashmir following the region's transition from a state to a Union Territory.
Increased Central Government Employees
Dr Singh highlighted that the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir led to a substantial increase in the number of Central Government employees in the region. This initially posed challenges related to workload and service delivery. However, he noted that these issues have been progressively addressed through coordinated efforts by the Government and associated institutions, enabling employees and pensioners across the Union Territory to benefit from the reforms introduced over the last decade.
Role of Pensioners' Associations
The Minister made special mention of the role played by the J&K Central Pensioners' Associations, describing them as valuable partners in the transition process. He said these associations not only extended full cooperation but also consistently highlighted issues before the Government while offering practical suggestions for their resolution. Their constructive engagement helped facilitate the integration of erstwhile state employees into the Central Government framework and contributed to the effective implementation of pension reforms across Jammu and Kashmir.
Citizen-Centric Initiatives
Dr Singh noted that pensioners and employees in J&K are now increasingly benefiting from a series of citizen-centric initiatives. He was addressing the 59th Pre-Retirement Counselling Workshop and the 13th Bankers' Awareness Programme organised by the Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar.
Transformation of Pension Department
The Minister said one of the defining features of the last decade has been the transformation of the Department from being viewed primarily as a pension-processing institution to one genuinely committed to the welfare of pensioners. He emphasised that the focus today is not merely on issuing Pension Payment Orders but on ensuring dignity, security, convenience and an improved quality of life for pensioners and senior citizens.
