Rs. 15 - Irtsa.net

January 2012
PETITION submitted by
BHARAT PENSIONERS SAMAJ, New Delhi
Before the Parliamentary Standing
Committee of Personnel & Public Grievances
with reference to Bill No. 131 of 2011
(The Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of
Goods and Services and Redressal of their
Grievances Bill, 2011)
While Bharat Pensioners Samaj, the oldest and
the largest body of Indian Pensioners and a stake
holder in DOP &PW Grievance redress mechanism,
congratulates, Government of India for introducing
in Lok Sabha the ‘Citizens Charter Bill 2011’, we
beg to convey the dismay of the retirees in the
country for excluding their matters from the definition
of “Complaints”.
Sir, serving Public servants have definite
negotiating instruments/ channels for redress of their
issues. Whereas Pensioners have no other channel
except the grievance redress mechanism of DOP
&PW which too is almost defunct, as toothless DOP
&PW, in the absence of sufficient powers, is
functioning like a Post Office. The concerned
Ministries/Departments to whom DOP & PW
forwards Pensioners Grievances, do not take these
grievances seriously.
The result is that the complaints are not resolved
even after a year or more. The greatest irony is:
1. That Pensioners/Family Pensioners are
exploited, harassed & humiliated by their own
counterparts in chair, who at the sight of an old
person adopt a wooden face & indifferent attitude.
2. Pensioners do not have any representation
even in forums & committees wherein the
pension policies & connected matters are
discussed. The forum of Pension Adalat too is
not of much avail as it meets only once a year &
takes up only retirement benefit settlement claim
cases. It does not consider healthcare and family
Pension related grievances. Similarly, SCOVA
too meets only once a year & the Forum is meant
for feedback on Government policies.
The DOP & PW though it lacks direct Service
BHARAT PENSIONER
GRIEVANCES
Delivery Capability, yet has been striving over the
years for redress of Pensioners grievance through
‘Sevottam’ model of the Department of
Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances,
treating them to be ‘internal clients’ which they are
not. Since they are no more the part of administration
& their matters exclude administrative control
activities. Most of their complaints arise due to
misinterpretation / non implementation or incorrect
implementation of Polices & Rules pertaining to
them. Thus, in terms of Sevottam model, retirees
are the combination of the two i.e. internal & external
clients and therefore are necessarily the service
recipients of ‘Citizens’ Charter’.
Bharat Pensioners Samaj, therefore, appeal that
the definition of ‘Complaint’ in Chapter 1 Para 2(f)
may be modified to read :
(f) “complaint” means a complaint filed by a
citizen regarding any grievance relating to, or arising
out of, any failure in the delivery of goods or rendering
of service pursuant to the Citizens Charter, or in the
functioning of a public authority, or any violation of
any law, policy, programme, order or scheme but
does not include grievance relating to the service
matters of a serving public servant.
REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES
Letter No. BPS/SG/2011/12/DOP&PW
dt 25.12.2011 from Shyam Sunder,
Secy Genl Bharat Pensioners Samaj to the
Secy, Deptt of AR, PG & Pensions
Subject : Modification of Citizens’ Charter of
DOP & PW
Sir,
Bharat Pensioners Samaj, in the interest of welfare
of Pensioners/Family pensioners seek the following
amendment to ‘Citizens Charter’ of DOP &PW:
A review of the existing charter brings out the
following:
1. Subtitle: ‘Our functions / activites’
following is provided:
• Facilitating Prompt redressal of
Pensioners grievances.
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