Minutes of the 21st meeting of Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies (SCOVA) held on 27.9.2012 under the Chairmanship of Minister of State (PP) at Civil Services Officers Institute (CSOI), Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi.
Secretary (P&PW) at the outset welcomed Hon’ble MOS(PP) as well as all representatives of Pensioners’ Associations and the participating members of various Ministries/Departments. Thereafter, he enumerated the changes in the pension rules and mentioned the fact that SCOVA has been able to achieve the objective for which it was started in 1986. Secretary (P&PW) further added that today’s serving officers will eventually become pensioners tomorrow. He praised the contributions made by the Pensioners as officers during their tenure in the Government and also applauded for their present contributions as Senior Citizens. Secretary expressed the hope that the Department would continue to get support from the pensioners’ Associations in future.
2. Hon’ble MOS (PP) in his welcome address to the participants stated that representations relating to pensionary matters are increasing as different Ministries/Departments are interpreting pension rules in different ways. Thus, he stressed the need for uniform interpretation of pension rules so that the grievances of the pensioners relating to pensionary matters are reduced and settled without delay. In order to have better cooperation between the Department and the pensioners association he agreed to the outstanding demand of holding the SCOVA meeting twice in a year.