In Siliguri, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan kicked off the Sparsh Outreach Programme on Thursday at Bengdubi Military Station. The event, organized by the Controller of Defence Accounts (CDA) Patna along with HQ 111 Area, brought together defence pensioners to learn about the SPARSH platform’s key features.
SPARSH, short for System for Pension Administration Raksha, helps defence pensioners access services easily. Experts gave detailed sessions on its benefits, like the strong grievance redressal system. They set up special counters for on-the-spot help with registrations, fixing pension issues, and solving complaints right there.
General Chauhan praised SPARSH as a shining example of Digital India and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). He called it a “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” reform that puts the whole pension process on one user-friendly platform. Now, pensions go straight to bank accounts from PCDA (Pensions), cutting out middlemen and errors. Pensioners can check details, update info, and file grievances online for faster, transparent service.
The programme focused on verifying documents, sorting out discrepancies, and speeding up pension processes through face-to-face talks with officials. It fits perfectly with the Ministry of Defence’s push to reach veterans, especially in far-off spots or those not tech-savvy.
Around 31 lakh defence pensioners have joined SPARSH so far, with direct bank credits highlighting its massive impact. The event drew a huge crowd of enthusiastic veterans. General Chauhan thanked Lieutenant General Pawan Chadha and the CDA Patna team for making it a success. Senior officers like Lieutenant General Zubin A Minwalla, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 33 Corps, also joined in.
This outreach shows how SPARSH is transforming pension support for India’s armed forces heroes, making life simpler one step at a time.
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