In a heartwarming gesture, one of the oldest living retired railway guards who celebrated his 100th birthday on Saturday, November 21, was gifted a ‘hike’ in his pension amount by the department.

According to the Hindustan Times, Keshav Narhat Bapat, a resident of Bhusawal city in Maharashtra, had joined the Central Railway (CR) which was earlier called as the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR) in 1951. He retired 42 years later, as a guard, in 1978.

The Central Railway decided to double Bapat’s monthly pension sum from this month as a ‘goodwill gesture’.

Central Railway’s oldest train guard felicitated on101st birthday. pic.twitter.com/RHZ7RJjuQU

— Central Railway (@Central_Railway) November 23, 2020

The department officials visited his house and congratulated him with flowers and sweets. He also received a greeting letter from Bhusawal Divisional Railway Manager Vikas Kumar Gupta.

‘When our personnel department officials reached Bapat’s home to wish and greet him on his 100th birthday, his family members were surprised and thanked us for the visit,’ said Central Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer Shivaji Sutar.

The centenarian’s family members while interacting with the CR officials stated that Bapat was in the Army where he had been a part of the World War II and had travelled to a number of countries during the battle.

After taking voluntary retirement from the Army, he then joined the Railways, where Bapat worked as a train guard.

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