What is the SPARSH outreach programme in Jorhat addressing pension issues for defence pensioners?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- SPARSH is a comprehensive digital platform for defence pensions.
- Outreach Programmes enhance communication and support for pensioners.
- Digital Life Certificates are essential for pension management.
- Collaboration with banks improves financial service accessibility.
- Community feedback is vital for continuous improvement.
New Delhi, Nov 22 (NationPress) The SPARSH (System for Pension Administration – Raksha) Project, a premier initiative of the Ministry of Defence, serves as a cohesive digital platform aimed at ensuring transparency, efficiency, and paperless processing of defence pensions.
This system seeks to unify all defence pensioners under a single platform, allowing easy access to pension sanctioning, disbursement, verification, and grievance resolution services.
To further this mission, the Controller of Defence Accounts (CDA) Guwahati conducted a SPARSH Outreach Programme on November 21, 2025, at Sainik Bhawan, Zila Sainik Welfare Office, Jorhat.
The event aimed to tackle pension-related concerns for defence pensioners and family pensioners, with a particular focus on the submission of Digital Life Certificates via Jeevan Pramaan.
Coordinated by Puranjan Roy, ACDA, Area Accounts Office, Jorhat, and Debojyoti Sardar, SAO, LAO (A) Jorhat, the programme attracted approximately 300 defence and family pensioners, along with their families from Jorhat, Shibsagar, Majuli, Golaghat, and surrounding areas.
A dedicated team from CDA Guwahati provided on-the-spot support for grievance resolution, Digital Life Certificate generation, data verification, and pension-related inquiries.
Additionally, Punjab National Bank supported the initiative by addressing banking queries and offering critical financial services.
Ambarish Barman, IDAS, Controller of Defence Accounts (Army), Guwahati, oversaw the event, ensuring its successful execution. He praised the enthusiastic turnout of pensioners and reaffirmed SPARSH's commitment to accuracy, transparency, and timely pension disbursement.
He acknowledged the difficulties faced by pensioners, especially in remote regions, and emphasized the Defence Accounts Department's role as a facilitator, providing hands-on assistance for Digital Life Certificates, data validation, and swift correction of pension discrepancies.
Barman confirmed that such outreach programmes will persist to enhance pensioner services and incorporate essential feedback for the ongoing improvement of the SPARSH system.
Col Chiranjeet Konwar (Retd.), Zilla Sainik Welfare Officer, Jorhat, highlighted the significance of the SPARSH platform, accurate documentation, and timely Digital Life Certificate submissions.