Unknown Facts of Defence Accounts Department and PCDA Pension

The Defence Accounts Department (DAD) is responsible for the payments, accounting and internal audit of the expenditure and receipts of the Defence Services and other Organisations under MoD such as the Border Roads, the Coast Guard, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Director General of Defence Estates and the Canteen Stores Department.

The functionaries of the department, at various levels, also act as Integrated Financial Advisors to their counterparts in the three Services, the Border Roads Organization, the Indian Coast Guard and the Defence Research and Development Organization and the Canteen Stores Department.

The role of DAD officers as Integrated Financial Advisors has been further intensified by the issue of a series of Orders by the Government of India, Ministry of Defence on the Air Force, Navy, MGO Border Roads side in 1997 under the concepts of the New Management Strategy and Financial Management Strategy, wherein Authority-cum-Responsibility Centers have been built. The department further provides the necessary Management Information System & Decision Support System to the Ministry of Defence in facilitating budgetary control.

PAYMENTS TO VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS UNDER MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

Pay and Allowances: Indian Army

One of the Primary functions of the department is to release pay and allowances and maintain the pay accounts of Army Officers, JCOs/ORs, GREF and Defence Civilians. These functions are discharged through PCDA(Officers) in Pune, 46 Pay & Account offices (in respect of JCOs/Other ranks of the Indian Army) and various PCsDA/CsDA/PCA(Fys).

Pay and Allowances : Indian Air Force and Indian Navy

The pay and allowances of the Air Force and the Navy are being maintained in IRLA system by these organisations internally. The Defence Accounts Department provides audit cover to them and deals with the processing of personal claims. Despite acute shortage of manpower, the Department endeavours to give top most priority to the personal claims of all the organisations serving under the Ministry of Defence.

Sanction, Accounting and Disbursement of Defence Pensions

The Defence Accounts Department is the nodal authority under the Ministry of Defence for sanction and disbursement of pensionary benefits to Defence Personnel, Defence Civilians and their families. The Defence Accounts Department acts as a facilitator between the Ministry of Defence, Services HQrs and Pension Disbursing Agencies to ensure that the vast community of Defence pensioners receives their recurring and lump sum pension dues timely and correctly. The Department is the nodal point for compiling expenditure on account of Defence pension and for conducting audit of disbursement of Defence pensions made by various payment agencies on this account. The SPARSH is effectively functioning to administer the entire defence pension from processing, sanction to disbursement and Grievance redressal.

There are 33.57 lakh active pensioners as on 01.04.2023. The different categories of pensioners are as per table below:

INFORMATION SOURCE : https://cgda.nic.in/magazines/DAD%20Day%20Brochure%202023.pdf

Payment & Compilation Module

DAD has developed and implemented a module to obtain payment and compilation details online on real time basis from all offices with WAN connection. It facilitates payment & compilation in real time.

Grievance Redressal System

The department has a well established complaint and grievance redressal system through Centralised redressal and monitoring system (CPGRAMS). The CPGRAMS portal is an online platform of the Government for prompt redressal of grievances. During the FY 2022-23, 17,258 CPGRAM grievances and 781 other grievances has been redressed by the department.

Pension Grievance Redressal Mechanism

The Department has set up a Call Centre with a toll free number (1800-180-5325) at PCDA(P), Prayagraj. This initiative has been taken to redress the grievances of pensioners. Any pensioner can approach PCDA (P), Prayagraj through this number with any type of query relating to his/her pension for immediate redressal/information.

Defence Pension Adalat and Outreach

The Defence Accounts Department conducts Defence Pension Adalats renamed as Raksha Pension Samadhan Ayojan (RPSA) to resolve the grievances of pensioners and family pensioners of Services and Civilians of MoD. These RPSAs are organized in such a manner that they cover all parts of the country. Special attention is given to areas with high concentration of Ex-Servicemen and remote areas with poor connectivity.

Aatmanirbhar Bharat

In line with the Government of India’s endeavour to Reform, Perform and Transform the defence sector for achieving atmanirbharata , the Defence Accounts Department too has taken various initiatives. These initiatives encompass reform in the areas of service delivery i.e audit, accounting and payment and rendering financial advice, rewriting the departmental manuals and procedures as well as transformation through greater utilisation of IT tools and human resource development. Performance parameters too have been quantified through introduction of Key Performance Indicators. The Department by these measures is not only expediting the payment process but also is ensuring in developing strong defence supply chain.