"Two events happened to me recently about which I want to share my experiences.
My dad passed away about 5 months ago at the ripe old age of 94. He had retired in 1975 as Supdt. Engr in CPWD in Delhi and was getting the central govt pension from 1975 to 2014 (about 40,000/-per month).
In the year 2010 he wrote to the ministry of pensions asking to include my mother's name Sharadha, now 89 yrs as the family pensioner. In the year 2012. due to my father's failing eyesight I reminded them by email as well as by phone to Delhi. I was told they are processing it and will send the revised papers "soon". 2014 came and my dad had still not received confirmation of my mom's name as family pensioner. He passed away assuming his wife will not be the recipient of around 25,000/-PM as her pension. When I went to the bank after my dad's death with all papers they said my mom's name was not in the pension payment order.
Frustrated I sent a copy of the earlier correspondence of 2010 to the pension ministry. Within 4 days I got an email from some clerk saying the papers will be ready within a week( not a vague "soon"). On the 5 th day I got a phone call from a person who introduced himself as Dr Jitendra Singh and he said the papers with my mom's details have been sent to the bank that very day.
I hung up thanking him. When I checked their web site Dr Jitendra Singh was the minister of state for pensions and personnel grievances,reporting to a Sr. cabinet minister who was Modi himself. When I called back to thank the minister himself ,he modestly said it was the PM's directive that no woman who has lost her husband recently should be further traumatized by delayed paperwork on pensions.
(What Manmohan did not do in 4 yrs Modi did in 4 days)
And last month when my mom had to give her life certificate to the bank a bank officer came home to get her signature due to her old age. (Last year I had taken my 93 years old dad to the bank with great difficulty). The bank also confirmed it was Finance ministry directive to treat Sr. Citizens with extra sensitivity!"
-Col G Pratap Raju
Source: Logical Indian
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