Members of Association of Retired IAS Officers, Bihar, felicitate SK Sharma at Bankipore Club in Patna on Sunday. Picture by Jai Prakash

S.K. Sharma, an 80-year-old retired IAS officer, couldn’t keep his emotions in check while being felicitated on Sunday.

The Association of Retired IAS Officers, Bihar, felicitated six retired bureaucrats at Bankipore Club.

Sharma, former additional secretary of the parliamentary affairs department, was more than happy to collect his memento. “Though I’m happy to meet my friends after a long time, I would be lying if I say I have only come here to meet them. Who does not love to be felicitated? When I received the memento, I was very happy. My feeling was similar to what a child goes through on being given a favourite toy,” he said with a big smile.

Like Sharma, the other officers were also ecstatic.

A.K. Dubey, former additional secretary of planning and development department, was also felicitated.

Dubey was all praise for the association. “It has taken a good initiative by felicitating the retired IAS officers. I don’t know any other city that has such an association. I am also lucky to be able to meet my former colleagues,” he said.

Dubey was more than happy that he could come on his own to collect his memento.

“I am a happy man because I am healthy. I am self-dependent, and because all my daughters are settled, I am leading a happy post-retirement life,” he said.

Unlike Dubey, retired officer Jagat Nandan Prasad (80), was a little disappointed with the organisers.

“Though I am happy that the association has taken the initiative of felicitating retired officers, they should try to increase its membership. Felicitation should not be its only goal. They should also organise social welfare activities regularly, in which they can involve its members. I have been a secretary of the organisation and therefore I want its overall growth,” Prasad said.

The association’s general secretary, H.K. Sinha, said they had invited 11 retired officers, but only six could make it to the programme.

“Every year, we felicitate retired officers on Civil Service Day, which falls on April 21,” he said.