DelHi education department to Form pension cell soon

The Education department of the Delhi government, that has around 50,000 employees, is soon going to come up with a pension cell to redress all pension-related grievances of its employees, following a stern advisory of the Delhi Public Grievance Commission (PGC). The Public Grievance Commission has asked the Education department of the Delhi government to form a single pension cell as the commission has been receiving hundreds of complaints related to pension of education department employees every year. “If the Education department formulates a single pension cell which would act as a single nodal point for all pension-related grievances, it would help the people who otherwise have to run from one zone to the other. The single pension cell would help streamline all pension-related grievances through one window and make life easier,” N. Dilip Kumar, member, PGC, told The Sunday Guardian. Since 3 February this year, the PGC has been issuing repeated advisories to implement a pension cell under the Education department, but the department has not heeded such advisories. Early this month, the PGC, in a hearing in the case of Sathayam R. Nair, who had been denied her retirement benefits by the Education department since she retired last year, had strongly condemned the non-action of the department to formulate a pension cell and release the dues of the aggrieved complainant. In its recent advisory, the PGC strongly said, “The Commission has taken a serious view that Saumya Gupta, Director (Education) GNCT of Delhi, has not taken the advice of the commission for forming a pension cell seriously. If Saumya Gupta is unwilling to implement this advice, the Commission would be free to take further action in this matter. Ignoring this would be construed as defiance of the commission.” Following this, the Education department is working towards formulating a nodal pension cell that would address all pension-related issues pertaining to Education department employees. Asha Devi’s voice is heavy with helplessness over the phone. On the fourth anniversary this week of the horrific Nirbhaya incident in 2012, she will be sitting at the Jantar Mantar again. Jyoti Singh’s ( Nirbhaya) mother says this is all she can do because nothing has changed.

“I cannot understand anymore what I can do. Rape has become a part of our culture and our society has accepted it. A news report about a woman getting raped does not shock anyone anymore. But the family who has to lose their child, can never forget the injustice done to them,” said Asha Devi.

“There won’t be any large scale rallies or mass mobilisation efforts. I am going to go to Jantar Mantar and be there. We have tried so hard to bring about positive changes in the law. The law and order situation is something that I cannot change just because I want to. But I can expect my society to try to change itself.