SPARSH Outreach programme*

Dear Veterans, 

SPARSH Outreach programme

1. Director Sainik Welfare, Telangana sent a message that *SPARSH Outreach programme* will be held in Mukhtiar Hall,  Brig CS Vidyasagar (Retd) attend the programme on 24 Apr 2023. His experience in the subsequent paragraphs.

2. He being from Secunderabad and having been a Director Sainik Welfare, AP from Nov 2006 to Nov 2012, went many a time to AOC Centre. But there were no road signs to tell me where is Mukhtiar Hall. After wasting half an hour he reached Mukhtiar Hall by 1000 hrs. He thought since such an important event is being held, three dignitaries will be there on the dias to address the participates. Mukhtiar Hall is the auditorium of AOC Centre. The three he expected are 

(a) The Commandant, AOC, Centre 

(b) Director Sainik Welfare Telangana who informed all of us to attend the programme and 

(c) Some senior IDAS officer from SPARSH.

3. He expected all the three dignitaries will explain the purpose of the outreach programme, how it will be conducted and how  all the problems of those migrated to SPARSH will be solved by end of the day. Nothing of that happened.

4. When he entered the well furnished Mukhtiar Hall, an auditorium of AOC Centre, there were tables all over with two people manning each of the tables. About 200 Ex-Servicemen and widows were all over the tables in that Hall. There was no system to tell the new comers where to go first to lodge their complaint. Some well dressed civilian was distributing a form for lodging a complaint. 

5. He went there with my own complaint of Smt Reshma Dilesh Uttekar wife of (Late) Sep Uttekar Dilesh Ramachandra of ASC (South) from Thane Dist of Maharashtra. Sep Uttekar died on 02 Oct 2021. His wife Smt Reshma Uttekar submitted all the documents like Death Certificate, PPO of her husband, Aadhar Card, details like her  mobile no, bank pass book first page, a cancelled cheque leaf with her name on it, postal address and with an application for grant of Ordinary family pension. Sep Uttekar got migrated to SPARSH which compounded the problems to his wife. 

6. ASC (South) Records, Bengaluru sent all the documents to PCDA (Pensions) Prayagraj on 29 Jul 2022 (after nine months of demise of the Sepoy Uttekar) to PCDA (Pensions) Prayagraj when it should not have taken more than two days on receipt of all documents from the widow, ASC (South) Records  to send such a recommendation. It takes nine months to send a simple letter recommending sanction of Family Pension to Smt Reshma Uttekar. It is a routine activity in every Record Office. Ex-Servicemen die and the format for sending the application for sanction of family pension is there. Whenever such documents come from the widow, the first thing the Record office staff should do is to go personally to the PAO(OR) located in the same complex and get LPC Cum Data sheet generated in just one hour. Our Army bureaucracy does not care for the suffering of the poor wife of deceased Sepoy. Till date no Family pension orders have been issued though the Sepoy Uttekar died 18 months back and the widow with two children are suffering in the absence of family pension. 

7. He did not know how to submit my complaint for sanction of and whom to meet as there were about 200 Ex-Servicemen and widows running from one table to another. Fortunately he met Maj Bharat Singh Gurjar, Record officer of AOC (Records) who was trying to help the Ex-Servicemen and widows who did not know where to go. He was very helpful. He  introduced myself to him. Immediately he asked me how can hew help me . He told him a widow of a Sepoy of ASC (South) whose husband died on 02 Oct 2021 did not get her Family Pension sanctioned even after the ASC (South) Records submitted all the documents to PCDA (Pensions) Prayagraj on 29 Jul 2022. He requested him to have compassion for the widow with two children not getting family pension since Oct 2021. He have not understood why so much is taken to sanction an entitlement to the widow of an Ex-Servicemen. 

8. Maj Bharat Singh Gurjar was kind enough to take my complaint along with a copy of letter of ASC (South) Record, Bengaluru letter dated 29 Jul 2022 and letter of Zilla Sainik Welfare Officer of Thane Dist, Maharashtra. He assured me he will give his personal attention and see that this lady will get her family pension soon.

9. In one word if he have to describe my experience of SPARSH outreach programme in Secunderabad on 24 Apr 2023 : it is a Chaos Compounded. You cannot in such large number of Ex-Servicemen and widows to find out whether anyone from PCDA (Pensions) Prayagraj with TCS employees came here. Even if he sit there till 1600 hrs seeing the massive crowd,  He would not have got a chance to meet the worthies from SPARSH and TCS. 

10. He  convinced the so called Outreach Programmes held all over India is brain child of FADS or CGDA to inform Min of Def that they are doing everything possible to solve all problems of SPARSHED pensioners. On ground, nothing is happening. Just photo ops. He suspect some Def Accts Dept personnel from DPDO Secunderabad and DPDO Hyderabad might have been detailed who are as clueless about SPARSH as I am.

11. Kindly see the photos he able to capture at 1030 hrs on 24 Apr 2023 of the Outreach Programme organized in Secunderabad.

 He  felt it is worse than a fish market. No arrangement were made for ladies and for super senior citizens for expeditious attending to their grievances.

 I understood the meaning of Jis ka Lathi uski bhains. He could not stay there for more than 30 mins and left after handing over my documents of Mrs Reshma Uttkear for commencement of Family Pension to Maj Bharat Singh Gurjar, Record Officer of AOC, Records, Secunderabad. He informed him that he will meet him after 15 days to know the progress of the case. In the mean time he also requesting Lt Col Ranjan Kumar, OiC, DPCC, PCDA (Pensions) Prayagraj to help this widow of Sepoy of ASC.