Lok Sabha Question No. 5636 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-04
Subject: Centralized Pension Processing System
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: Shri Dulu Mahato

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5636

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04 th  April, 2025

## CENTRALIZED PENSION PROCESSING SYSTEM

5636. SHRI DULU MAHATO:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has implemented the centralized Pension Processing system for pensioners including Ex-Serviceman in Jharkhand;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the manner in which distribution of pension being made easier through this system;
- (c) the details of Armed Forces pensioners registered in Jharkhand along with the organisations involved in registration of pensioners through 'System for Pension Administration-Raksha' Portal;
- (d) whether the pensioners are being getting the facilities of grievance redressal and application tracking through the said portal in Jharkhand; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## A  N  S  W  E  R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

(SHRI SANJAY SETH)

- (a):    Yes,  Sir.  System  for  Pension  Administration  'RAKSHA'  (SPARSH)  has  been implemented  from  October,  2020  in  a  phased  manner  as  Centralized  Pension  Processing System which also includes Jharkhand.
- (b):  Till 2020, 32 Lakh Defence Pensioners/Family Pensioners were receiving pension through 21 public sector banks, 3 private sector banks, 26 Treasuries, 64 Defence Pension Disbursing Offices (DPDOs), 1 Post Office, 5 Pay and Accounts Offices (PAOs) scattered all over India.

Now, with implementation of SPARSH [System for Pension Administration (Raksha)] from  October,  2020  an  end-to  end  solution  for  all  pension  processes  beginning  with  the initiation of pension claim till disbursement and accounting of pension expenditure has been established. At the centre of this initiative is the Defence Pensioners who is given a completely transparent view of his pension account through a platform which captures and maintains a complete  history  of  events  and  entitlements  of  the  pensioner  right  from  the  date  of commencement  of  pension  to  the  date  of  cessation  of  pension  due  to  his/her  last  eligible beneficiary.

A pensioner who is on boarded on the SPARSH portal is allotted a PPO number and an SMS  is  triggered  on  his/her  registered  mobile  number  with  login  ID/Password  to  utilize SPARSH portal through his login. SPARSH ensures full transparency to the pensioner about his  entitlement  and  payment.  The  SPARSH  portal  provides  the  following  facilities  to  the pensioner: -

- (i) Identification and furnishing of life certificate through Manual Certificate based process or Aadhaar based Digital process.
- (ii) Management of Pensioner's Profile.
- (iii) Disbursement related services: SPARSH  makes  the payment to the beneficiaries directly into his Bank Account.
- (iv) Service  request:    Many  functionalities  such  as  annual  identification,  reemployment request, investment declaration, profile updation request etc. can be raised by the pensioner through his dedicated portal account.

Interactive  Grievance  Management:    Grievances  relating  to  payment,  pensioner's profile,  pension  sanction  &  revision  etc.  can  be  raised  by  the  pensioner  through  his  portal account.  Settlement  remarks  provided  by  stakeholders  on  the  grievances  are  visible  to pensioners. Grievance status can be tracked by pensioner through the portal account.

(c):   Total number of Armed Forces pensioners drawing pension from banks in the state of Jharkhand through SPARSH is 26,967. There are 113 SPARSH service centres (Defence Accounts  Department-02,  Common  Service  Center-31,  Bank-80)  located in Jharkhand to provide assistance and other services to Defence Pensioners.

(d)  &  (e):   The  SPARSH portal service provides support regarding grievance redressal and tracking of application. These services are also available to Defence Pensioners in Jharkhand.

*****