Relief for 36k veterans, deadline to claim pension may be extended

NEW DELHI: More than 36,000 defence pensioners have not yet completed their annual identification by submitting mandatory life certificates for the processing of their monthly pension under a new online disbursing system, called Sparsh, launched last year, officials familiar with the development said on Tuesday.

Their pensions for the month of May will, however, not be withheld as a special case so that they are not inconvenienced, the officials said, seeking anonymity.

The defence ministry had set May 25 as the last date for the former servicemen to complete the process to ensure smooth processing of their pension by the Allahabad-based Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions). However, the pension for May of veterans who have still not completed the documentation will not be withheld, with the government set to extend the previous one-time waiver for completing the required documentation from May 25 to June 25 to draw pension, HT has learnt.

Annual Identification is mandatory for continued and timely disbursal of pension.

“As of Tuesday, 36,730 Sparsh pensioners have still not submitted their life certificates. However, the government will not stop their pension... They will be given another month’s time...,” said one of the officials cited above.

Sparsh, or System for Pension Administration (Raksha), involves crediting pensions directly into the accounts of former servicemen without relying on any external intermediary (banks). Veterans who retired after 2016 are being moved to the new system in phases.