Minutes of the meeting of 35th SCOVA held on 10.03.2026 under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble MOS (PP)

Minutes of the meeting of 35th SCOVA held on 10.03.2026 under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble MOS (PP) at CSOI, KG Marg, New Delhi: DoP&PW Order dated 04.05.2026

F.No.42/11/2023-P&PW(D)/E-9312
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare
****

3rd Floor, Lok Nayak Bhawan
Khan Market, New Delhi-110003
Date: – 4th May, 2026

To

All the Pensioners’ Associations included in SCOVA
Vide Resolution dated 29.09.2025

Subject: – Minutes of the meeting of 35th SCOVA held on 10.03.2026 under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble MOS (PP) at CSOI, KG Marg, New Delhi -reg.

Please find enclosed herewith the minutes of the 35th Meeting of Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies (SCOVA) held under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble MoS (PP) on 10.03.2026 at CSOJ, KG Marg, New Delhi.

Encl: as above

Sd/-
(Keshav Madhav Sharma)
Under Secretary to the Govt. of India

Minutes of the meeting of 35th SCOVA held on 10.03.2026 under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble MOS (PP) at CSOI, KG Marg, New Delhi 
****

Venue: CSOI, K. G. Marg, New Delhi

Date: 10.3.2026

1. List of participants is at Annexure-I.

2. Minutes of the Meeting is at Annexure — I.

3. Joint Secretary (Pension) welcomed Hon’ble MoS (PP), Secretary (P&P W), representatives of Pensioners’ Welfare Associations and the officers from various Ministries/Departments. He underlined that SCOVA is a useful platform where feedback on implementation of policies/programs of DoPPW is discussed. Further, he highlighted that it provides the representatives of PWAs an opportunity for raising the issues concerning, pensioners’ welfare directly before the concerned Ministries/Departments.

4, Secretary (Pension) briefed the members of SCOVA about various initiatives undertaken by DoPPW for bringing case in the life of the pensioners. She appreciated the role of PWAs towards the success of DILC campaign 4.0, held in November, 2025. She apprised about the Comprehensive guidelines issued on 29.09.2025 for timely payment of retirement dues and issue of PPOs at the time of retirement of Central Civil Services Employees with innovative intervention of appointment of Pension Mitras for handholding of pensioners in all the departments. She also pointed out the impactful role of National Pension Adalats in
resolving grievances wherein more than 74% of the grievances have been successfully resolved on the spot in presence of the Hon’ble MoS (PP) in the last 15 Pension Adalats.

5. Thereafter, new agenda items identified for 35th SCOVA meeting and carried forward agenda items from 34th SCOVA meeting, held in March, 2025 were deliberated in detail.

6. In his concluding address, Hon’ble MoS (PP) and Chairman of SCOVA, Dr. Jitendra Singh underscored several revolutionary changes, brought in since 2014 for bringing “Ease of Living” to the common man. He shared that the issue regarding an increase in the Grant-in-Aid to PWAs from earlier ₹75,000/- to ₹5,00,000/- per annum per Association, as raised in last SCOVA, has been duly addressed. He emphatically mentioned about the role of SCOVA in bringing recent reforms in CGHS viz. revision of CGHS packages, reducing the age limit for referral free consultation in empaneled hospitals from 75 years to 70 years, increase in the validity of referral from 1 month to 3 months on a single referral. Further, he discussed the utility of integration of CGHS portal with Bhavishya in ensuring the generation of CGHS card on the first day of the retirement.

7. Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon’ble MoS (PP) also stressed upon the role of SCOVA in participative consultation with stakeholders so that welfare measures for pensioners are ensured. He also encouraged PWAs to share suggestions beyond grievances so that policies and services can be further strengthened.

8. The meeting ended with a vote of thanks to the chair and all other participants.

*****

Annexure-I

List of Participants – See PDF

Annexure-II

NEW AGENDA ITEMS

• CGHS related grievances raised by Pensionser’s Associations- New Agenda Items No. 1 to 14: 35th SCOVA Discussion 
• Railway LTC Rules vs. Civil LTC Rules and Extension of LTC Benefits for Retired Employees: 35th SCOVA Discussion
• Provision of a higher appellate authority to review complex Pension Adalat cases: 35th SCOVA Discussion
• Pre-COVID Rail Concessions for Senior Citizens वरिष्ठ नागरिकों के लिए कोविड-पूर्व रेल रियायतों की बहाली: 35th SCOVA Discussion
• Integration of UMID software with ARPAN and conducting of informal meetings of PWAs with DRMs/GMs: 35th SCOVA Discussion
• One-time re-option allowing Railway Pensioners to Switch from FMA to Railway Hospitals: 35th SCOVA Discussion
• Setting up of separate Central Pension Processing Cell (CPPC) units of SBI and PNB: 35th SCOVA Discussion
• Concerns include delay and rejection in submission of Digital Life Certificates (DLCs): 35th SCOVA Discussion
• Upon death of pensioner, banks must convert joint accounts to single accounts: 35th SCOVA Discussion
• Recognition of transgender children as dependents for family pension: 35th SCOVA Discussion
• Simplifying proof of relationship requirements for family pension and verification: 35th SCOVA Discussion
• Accessibility of attachment/ ATR to pensioner on CPENGRAMS upon disposal of grievance- 35th SCOVA discussion
• Abolition of double taxation on medical reimbursement for pensioners – 35th SCOVA discussion
• Granting of funds towards funeral expenditure of pensioner: 35th SCOVA discussion
• Proposed meeting with IESL and CGDA to resolve ex-servicemen pension anomalies for NCOs, JCOs, other ranks.: 35th SCOVA
• Providing dedicate service centers or officials for SPARSH pensioner: 35th SCOVA discussion
• Resolving issues in SPARSH portal such as smooth discontinuation of FMA for availing ECHS/CGHS membership: 35th SCOVA
• Dedicated SPARSH/SAMPANN Support & PWA Coordination and CCA Delays in SAMPANN Family Pensions: 35th SCOVA discussion

CARRIED FORWARD AGENDA ITEMS

• Increase in the Grant-in-Aid to PWAs -View PDF
• Simplifying Family Pension Processing – Associations Demand Clear Standard Operating Procedure: 35th SCOVA discussion
• Department of Posts Developing Automated Exit Management Module for Pension Processing: 35th SCOVA discussion
• SPARSH – Digital Life Certificate (DLCs) for pensioners residing in foreign countries: 35th SCOVA discussion
• Issues related to policy matter of One Rank One Pension (OROP): 35th SCOVA discussion
• Issues of restoration of commutation of pension due to data mismatch or missing data: 35th SCOVA
• Issues relating to non payment of additional pension: 35th SCOVA discussion
•  SPARSH – FAQ on migration of pension disbursal from bank to SPARSH: 35th SCOVA discussion
• Extension of SAMPANN portal of DoT to the Department of Posts : 35th SCOVA discussion
• CGHS – Manpower at WC, Opening of New WCs, Delay in Medical Reimbursement etc.: 35th SCOVA Discussion