Transmission errors in pension disbursements through SPARSH highlighted by the CAG report on Defence Services

Transmission errors in pension disbursements through SPARSH highlighted by the CAG report on Defence Services

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2918

TO BE ANSWERED ON 17th March, 2023

TRANSMISSION ERRORS IN PENSION DISBURSEMENT

2918. KUNWAR DANISH ALI:
Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken into cognizance the transmission errors highlighted by the CAG report on Defence Services (2017) in nearly 75 per cent of pension disbursements;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the steps undertaken to investigate and address these transmission errors;

(c) whether the Government has taken measures to balance the payment between the pension guaranteed and pension disbursed;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) if not, the reasons therefor along with the expected timeline to address these deficiencies?

A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE (SHRI AJAY BHATT)
IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

(a): Yes, Sir.

(b): The Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pension), Prayagraj vide their letter No. AT/PSB/VII/BOB dated 02.12.2021, AT/PSB/ VIII/SBI/ CPPC/Patna dated December 2021, AT/PSB/ VIII/CPPC/BOM dated Dec 2021, AT/PSB/III/SBI GHY/MISC/ 2021 dated 01.12.2021, AT/PSB/III/SBI Mumbai/Misc/2021dated 01.12.2021, AT/PSB/III/CBI Mumbai/Misc/2021 dated 01.12.2021, AT/TRY/FARRUKHABAD/UP/2022 dated 11.05.2022 has taken up the matter with the concerned Banks’ Central Pension Processing Cells (CPPCs)/Pension Disbursement Agencies (PDAs) to improve the systematic inefficiencies.

2. The recently implemented web-based pension sanctioning and disbursement system namely “System of Pension Administration – Raksha” (SPARSH) envisages to mitigate the problems highlighted in the C&AG Report, which in Para 4.12 of the Report has highlighted the systemic inefficiencies as ‘Symptomatic’ thereby underscoring the need for a more robust pension disbursement system.

(c): Yes,Sir.

(d): To overcome the systemic inefficiencies as highlighted by the CAG report on Defence Services (2017), the Govt of India has implemented a robust and comprehensive web-based pension sanctioning and disbursement system named as SPARSH for defence pensioners providing for online processing of pension claims involving initiation, pensioner data verification, audit authentication, sanctioning and disbursement on one single platform.

(e): Not Applicable in view of reply to part (d) above.

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