[Prafulla Kaman]
MEBO, 12 Jan: The retired officers and officials of East Siang district have resolved to adopt schools, either individually or as a group, covering all the blocks in the district.
The officers and officials, under the banner of the Arunachal Pradesh Service Pensioners’ Association’s (APSPA) district unit, are taking up welfare activities for the development of education and career-building of the district’s students.
During a meeting of around 250 APSPA members, led by its president (and former elementary education director) Bodong Yirang and secretary (and retired medical officer) Dr Onik Moyong, Yirang said that the association has asked “medical health and financial banks authorities to facilitate separate (special) counters to avoid public rush during official works.”
He said that the association has also demanded that the state transport department set up a separate ticket counter for retired servicemen and aged persons.
“The financial banks are yet to fulfil our demands, which is causing a great deal of dissatisfaction among our members,” Yirang said.
Former ADC Obang Dai said that the retired officers and officials, who are scattered across the district, “earlier suffered a lot in case of official works, but they have got respite in some cases after having the united stand.”
Dai, who earlier served the association as its vice president, informed that he had placed a demand before the state government for construction of an old-age home in Pasighat for the convenience of the APSPA members.
“But nothing has been fruited so far in this regard,” he said, and requested the association’s functionaries to pursue the demand with the government. He added that “we will donate required land in Pasighat for implementing the proposed old-age home project.”
Several retired officers, including APSPA vice president and former industries deputy director Kaling Koyu, secretary (administration) and Library DD Tarak Mize, IAS commissioners Ganesh Koyu and Tajom Taloh, DC Kumson Pangging and retired lady officers also offered their views.
They later adopted a unanimous resolution to adopt “neighbouring schools” and look after the developmental activities of the adopted schools through the block level committees.
They further decided to move the government to release pending pension, gratuity and other benefits of the retired lower grade employees in various departments.
The East Siang unit of the APSPA was defunct for several years after its formation in 2007. But it was revived in March last year by some of the newly retired officers.
