New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday launched several digital initiatives of the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) during its 275th Annual Day celebrations in New Delhi. The initiatives include the System for Pension Administration (Raksha) (SPARSH) mobile app; Pay System for Agniveers; International Air Ticket booking module in Defence Travel System (DTS); Defence Accounts Receipts and Payment System (DARPAN); Defence Civilian Pay system and Defence Accounts Human Resource Management System. The minister, in his address, commended the DAD for taking forward the 'Digital India' vision of the Government, stating that the new initiatives will increase transparency and efficiency in the functioning of the Department.
On the occasion, Rajnath Singh also gave away the Raksha Mantri Awards for Excellence 2022 to three teams for exhibiting exemplary initiative in implementing key department projects – development, testing and implementation of SPARSH; implementation of E-Concurrence in DRDO and Pay and Accounts Office (PAO) Bharati: Your PAO, A call away 24*7.
SPARSH Mobile App
The app will ensure pensioner access and reach to important functionalities of the SPARSH portal through their mobiles. Ministry of Defence implemented the portal for pensioners of the Armed Forces as well as defence civilians as an integrated system for automation of sanctions and disbursement of defence pensions. It is an end-to-end solution to all pension-related processes, from claim initiation to disbursement. Pensioners can log on to the portal and get their pension-related issues resolved.
Describing SPARSH as a landmark step, Rajnath Singh said, it is the Government's endeavour to provide the best services to the serving personnel, ex-servicemen and their families during the soldiers' lifetime as well as after death. He added that special emphasis is being laid on disbursing the right pension at the right time. The Raksha Mantri called upon DAD to make speedy and quality disposal of grievances of pensioners their first priority. He praised the department for regularly organising Outreach Programmes and 'Raksha Pension Samadhan' for on-the-spot redressal of problems, urging them to continue working in that direction.
Agniveer Pay System
The system will facilitate efficient pay management for Agniveers, who will soon join the Armed Forces through the Government's transformational Agnipath scheme. The fully automated IT system will be a specialised and secure portal to ensure claim processing and pay-roll management of Agniveers. Shri Rajnath Singh also inaugurated a centralised PAO (Army) for Agniveers at Delhi Cantonment.
Defence Travel System
The system provides an end-to-end solution, from booking of rail and air tickets to claim submission on its portal for Defence Services and Civilians in a cashless and paperless environment. It will provide the facility for booking of air tickets for foreign travel to defence services replacing Air Exchange Warrants. It will fill the time gap between GSL receipt and ticket booking and eliminate the last hassle for travelling officers.
DARPAN
The Defence Accounts Receipts and Payment System is a unified solution for third-party bill payment and accounting. Its real-time processing will provide comprehensive insights into various accounting and financial performances.
Defence Pay Civilian System
The System envisages the disbursement of pay of all defence civilians through a single, centralised and fully automated system. Both Units and PCDA/CDA offices have been given access to the system and units will be able to check the payment status on the portal itself.
Defence Accounts HR Management System
With the launch of the application, the department steps into a new paradigm of digitally enabled human resource management. The platform has various self-service modules like e-service book, leave management, payroll generation and promotion details which will be accessible to the employees through a mobile app, anywhere anytime.
PAO-Bharti
Through the initiative, which was part of the Raksha Mantri Excellence Awards this year, the Armed Forces personnel will be able to get real-time data related to pay & allowances and claims. In addition, through its Interactive Voice Response System, the personnel will be able to register their complaints through phone and get the replies within 48 hours. The system has been implemented in seven PAOs. The Raksha Mantri hoped that it will soon be implemented in the remaining offices also.
Further, Singh lauded the DAD for imbibing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mantra of 'reform, perform and transform' by adopting these digital initiatives. "The department is evolving itself according to the ever-changing times, while staying connected with the traditional values," he said.
He praised the vital role played by the DAD in managing the financial resources of the Services by following the principles of financial prudence. "As India has completed 75 years of independence, it is moving forward with renewed confidence and determination under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 'Amrit Kaal' to become one of the most powerful countries in the world by 2047. This goal can only be achieved if India has a strong military, which is equipped with state-of-the-art weapons/equipment, manufactured by an 'Aatmanirbhar' defence industry. Bolstering national security has been our top priority since the beginning. The allocation of a total budget of Rs 5.25 lakh crore to Ministry of Defence in 2022-23 is a testament to that unwavering resolve. The DAD is playing a crucial role in this endeavour," he said.
Rajnath Singh shed light on the important role the department can play in realising the vision of 'Aatmanirbharta' in Defence. "68 percent of capital procurement budget has been earmarked for the domestic industry during Financial Year 2022-23, which underlines the Government's commitment towards achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing. The DAD should bolster their support to the Government's efforts through speedy decisions, as delays not only lead to loss of time and money but also adversely impact the combat readiness of the country," he said.
Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande, Financial Advisor (Defence Services) Smt Rasika Chaube, Additional Controller General of Defence Accounts Shri Avinash Dikshit and other senior officials of the Ministry of Defence were present during the event.
(Defence Watch– India's Defence News centre that focuses on Defence Manufacturing, Defence Technology, Strategy and Military affairs is on Twitter. Follow us here and stay updated.)