Government systems should remain responsive to employees, families: Minister

New Delhi, Sep 5 (AHN) Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh called for continued efforts to make government service rules more responsive to the needs of employees and their families, an official statement said on Saturday.

Speaking at the launch of the ‘CSS Shield’ initiative of the Central Secretariat Service (CSS) Forum, the minister said collective efforts to support bereaved families could create a new culture of standing by colleagues in times of sudden loss.

The initiative is a mutual support mechanism for the bereaved families of CSS officers.

He presented financial assistance to the families of two deceased officers -- Mohan Chandra Bhatt and Rajendra Chandra -- as part of the initiative.

“The mechanism is not difficult to implement, what matters is the collective will and willingness to contribute,” according to the minister.

He said that when colleagues come together as one family to support a bereaved family, it sends a meaningful message beyond the organisation itself and added that the initiative was in keeping with the larger effort of the government to make service systems more responsive to the needs of employees and their families.

Referring to the approach of the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the minister said there was continuous encouragement to review rules and procedures and make necessary changes wherever existing arrangements could be improved.

In addition, representatives of the CSS Forum said the forum had been supporting the families of deceased CSS officers through voluntary contributions even before the formal launch of CSS Shield, according to the government.

The experience during the COVID-19 period when a number of CSS officers lost their lives further strengthened the need for a structured mechanism of mutual support, according to the government.

The forum said that since 2020, CSS officers had collectively contributed around Rs 1.30 crore towards financial assistance for the families of approximately 65-70 deceased officers.

Under the new initiative, the forum seeks to provide at least Rs 15 lakh to a bereaved family, while its larger objective is to progressively enhance the assistance as participation increases, the government said.