**Summary:**
This document summarizes the Ministry of Defence's response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2230, concerning grievances from AFHQ civilian pensioners regarding inaccuracies in the dates of restoration of their commuted value of pensions, specifically instances where the dates were shown as due three months beyond the completion of 15 years post-retirement. The Ministry acknowledges receiving complaints through various channels (representations, emails, etc.). The government's response, delivered by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence, Shri Sanjay Seth, indicates that requests for updation of commutation end dates on the SPARSH portal are being addressed promptly, based on documentation provided by pensioners or available within the department. Furthermore, the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA) Prayagraj has initiated a comprehensive exercise to update pensioner data on the SPARSH portal. As a result of this effort, the PCDA Pension Office has updated the commutation end date and refunded excess recovery in approximately 240 cases involving AFHQ Civilian Pensioners. The government is focused on updating data and preventing future inaccuracies through improvements to the PCDA's processes.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Defence: A department of the Government of India responsible for national security.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India.
AFHQ Civilian Pensioners: Civilian employees of the Armed Forces Headquarters (AFHQ) who are receiving pensions.
SHRI JAI PRAKASH: Member of Parliament who raised the question in the Lok Sabha.
PCDA Pension Office: Pension office under the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA), responsible for updating commutation end date.
SHRI SANJAY SETH: Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence who provided the answer.
SPARSH Portal: A portal used for pension administration, specifically for updating commutation end dates.
PCDA Prayagraj: Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA), located in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, responsible for updating pensioner data.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2230
TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2025
GRIEVANCES OF AFHQ CIVILIAN PENSIONERS
2230. SHRI JAI PRAKASH:
Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has received a litany of complaints, representations, emails, etc.,
from AFHQ civilian pensioners seeking correction in dates of restoration of their commuted
value of pensions which have been shown as due three months beyond completion of 15 year
of their retirement;
(b) if so, the details of action taken by the Government in mitigating their grievances;
(c) whether the Government is contemplating to start a robust mechanism at the PCDA level
to avoid recurrence of such inaccuracy; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE (SHRI SANJAY SETH)
IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
(a) & (b) Requests received from pensioners regarding updation of commutation end date
on SPARSH Portal are promptly carried out based on relevant documents provided by them or
those available with department.
(c) & (d) PCDA(P) Prayagraj has undertaken a major exercise to update the data of
pensioners on SPARSH Portal. In respect of AFHQ Civilian Pensioners, PCDA Pension Office
has updated the commutation end date and also refunded excess recovery in around 240 cases.
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