Siliguri, Sept 18 : Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Thursday inaugurated the Sparsh Outreach Programme at Bengdubi Military Station, aimed at assisting defence pensioners with services under the SPARSH digital pension system.
Organised by the Controller of Defence Accounts (CDA) Patna in coordination with HQ 111 Area, the event provided pensioners with guidance on registration, grievance redressal, document verification, and pension-related discrepancies. Dedicated counters were set up to offer on-the-spot solutions.
The CDS was joined by Lt Gen Pawan Chadha, SM, VSM, and Lt Gen Zubin A Minwalla, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, GOC 33 Corps.
General Chauhan described SPARSH as a “Digital India, DBT-driven, Minimum Government, Maximum Governance reform” that has streamlined pension disbursal by crediting payments directly into the accounts of over 31 lakh defence pensioners, eliminating intermediaries.
Pensioners were also briefed on self-service features to update records and raise grievances online, which officials said would improve transparency and timelines. The outreach, part of Ministry of Defence efforts to bring services closer to veterans, received an overwhelming response with large participation from ex-servicemen.
The CDS complimented Lt Gen Chadha and CDA Patna officials for successfully conducting the programme.
