Monthly Archives: August 2018

Respected Ladies,
I reached PCDA(Pensions) Prayagraj today, 30 Aug.I met Mr Som Dev, IDAS, the Principal Controller, the boss of PCDA(Pensions) Prayagraj and Mr Himanshu Tripathi, Dy CDA, OiC SPARSH.
I discussed the case of non- commencement of Dependent Family Pension of Ms Neelam Ahuja, Elder Sister of Mrs Sangeeta Chhabra. He said he knows me well through Army Circles and thanked me for the work I am doing for welfare of Ex- Servicemen and Single Ladies. He assured me he will get the job done of Ms Neelam Ahuja soon.
Mr Himanshu Tripathi told me that leaving few from Nepal and those who are still drawing pension from State Treasury, all 32 lakh defence pensioners including Def Civilians will be migrated to SPARSH by 31 Oct. I was migrated to SPARSH on 12 Aug but got the SMS from CPOC, SBI only on 29 Aug. I was assured that my monthly pension has been processed and shall be remitted on 31 Aug.
All those migrated to SPARSH in Aug 2023 will get Pension either on 30 or 31 Aug. All those of our members migrated to SPARSH from any bank need not worry.
Mr Himanshu told me from his experience in SPARSH, since 2019, he found SBI is the best bank.
He admitted that Pensioners migrated now to SPARSH on retirement from 2016 are not facing any problems. Only those retired prior to 2016 have problems especially those retired from British Indian Army and State Forces since 1920 do not have all the required details. But they also will be helped out.
The photo of Mr Som Dev, the Principal Controller and self is attached.
Then I met Lt Col Ranjan Kumar, Officer in Charge, Defence Pensioners Contact Centre, in the Office of PCDA(Pensions) Prayagraj in the evening on all grievances, I compiled. I am meeting him tomorrow at 10 AM. Hopefully, he will give me some good news.
I will give the progress after I return to Secunderabad. I know you are anxious to know. Please wait for three more days.
Even if the job is not done due to non availability of one or two documents, I will pursue from Secunderabad. Trust me!
warm regards & respects,

Brig CS Vidyasagar( Retd), 94931 91380

New Delhi, August 30

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday termed as “very serious” the issue of China releasing a “standard map” that laid claim over Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin, saying the neighbouring country had already taken India’s land in Ladakh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should speak on the issue.

On Monday, Beijing released the 2023 edition of the so-called “standard map of China” that laid claim over Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as regions within its borders.

Asked about the map issue as he was leaving for Karnataka, Gandhi told reporters, “I have just returned from Ladakh and I have been saying for years that what the PM has said, that not one inch of land has been lost in Ladakh, is an absolute lie. The whole of Ladakh knows that China has usurped our land.”  

“This map issue is very serious but they have already taken away our land and the PM should say something about that too,” the former Congress president said.

The Congress on Tuesday took strong objection to the inclusion of Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin in China’s map and asserted that these are inalienable parts of India which no such illegal representation or arbitrarily invented map by the “habitual offender” can change. 

Harjot Singh Sidhu

DURING a trip to Sikkim with my family earlier this year, I visited the Nathu La, which is of strategic importance to the Army. Heavy snowfall often restricts access to the pass, with temperatures reaching as low as -25°C, accompanied by strong winds. From there, we travelled to visit a temple named after Baba Harbhajan Singh. He was a soldier who died young back in 1968. Sepoy Harbhajan Singh was posthumously given the rank of honorary captain.

Harbhajan Singh was born in a Sikh family on August 30, 1946, in Sadrana village (now in Pakistan). He joined the Army in February 1966 and was recruited in the 23rd battalion of the Punjab Regiment. It was this regiment that he served till his death on October 4, 1968, near Nathu La.

On that fateful day, Sepoy Harbhajan Singh was escorting a mule caravan from his battalion headquarters at Tuku La to Dongchui La. He slipped and fell into a nullah; the gushing waters carried his body downstream. A search operation proved to be futile. Legend has it that one of his comrades had a dream in which Harbhajan Singh informed him about the tragic incident and the location of his body. It was found a few days later and cremated with full military honours. The story goes that he then appeared in the dreams of fellow soldiers and asked them to build a samadhi for him. The unit duly constructed a shrine.

A temple dedicated to him was built in 1982. People visit it to pay their respects to Sepoy Harbhajan Singh, now better known as Baba Harbhajan Singh. There is a superstitious belief that the water kept at the place can cure ailing persons. It is also believed that his ‘spirit’ protects Indian soldiers who guard the border post at Nathu La.

On the temple’s premises, there is a room with a bed, Harbhajan Singh’s portrait, uniform, shoes, slippers and a stick. The place is managed by barefooted uniformed personnel from the nearby Army unit; they make the bed and keep the shoes polished.

During my visit, I also got to know about another soldier named Harbhajan Singh. A Major, he hailed from Bhatte Bhaini village in Patti tehsil of Punjab’s Tarn Taran district. He did his matriculation from DAV High School, Patti, in 1956. Later that year, he got himself enrolled as a ‘boy soldier’ at the Army recruiting office in Amritsar and joined the Corps of Signals. He died fighting Chinese troops in the Nathu La clashes of September 1967. Major Harbhajan Singh, who was just 26 years old when he made the supreme sacrifice, was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India’s second highest gallantry award. I marvelled at the Nathu La connection between the two soldiers, both named Harbhajan Singh, who died a year apart.

A liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) delivery truck drives along Indias Tezpur-Tawang highway which runs to the Chinese border, in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh May 29, 2012. Reuters
https://cdn.vuukle.com/widgets/audio.html?version=1.2.0
Advertisement

IANS

New Delhi, August 30

Chinese forces are learnt to have ramped up construction of reinforced bunkers and underground tunnels in Aksai Chin, according to reports citing data from satellite imagery.

As per the reports,construction activities are taking place in Aksai Chin, a territory held illegally by China, but historically claimed by India.

The reports further said that Chinese forces have started carving tunnels and shafts alongside a narrow river valley, to construct bunkers and shelters.

The development has come on the heels of China releasing a “standard map” showing parts of Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh under its jurisdiction, on Monday.

Reacting to the map, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday that “China has put out maps with territories (that are) not theirs. (It is an) old habit.

“Just by putting out maps with parts of India… this doesn’t change anything. Our government is very clear about what our territory is. Making absurd claims does not make other people’s territories yours,” he added.

Also on Tuesday,India lodged a strong protest with China on the release of a so-called “standard map”.

“We have today lodged a strong protest through diplomatic channels with the Chinese side on the so called 2023 ‘standard map’ of China that lays claim to India’s territory,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

“We reject these claims as they have no basis. Such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question,” he added.

The release of the map comes just days before the G20 summit, which is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on September 9 and 10.

Last week during his informal conversation with China’s President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in South Africa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed New Delhi’s “concerns over unresolved issues along LAC and other areas along the India-China border”.

India needs to be on guard, avoid being provoked

DAYS after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, China’s Ministry of Natural Resources has released the country’s ‘2023 edition of the standard map’, which shows the disputed border area of Aksai Chin and the entire Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh within its territory. Earlier this year, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs had claimed that it had ‘standardised’ the names of 11 places in Arunachal, which is called ‘Zangnan, the southern part of Tibet’ by the Chinese.

India has lodged a strong protest with China over the new map. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has asserted that it’s an ‘old habit’ of China to make absurd claims on other countries’ territories, while the Congress, the main Opposition party, has stated that China’s claims on Arunachal Pradesh are ‘absurd, illogical and historically incorrect’. China’s cartographical move, which appears to be a fresh provocation, is set to cast a shadow on President Xi’s expected visit to India next week for the G20 summit.

New Delhi has been categorical in stating that Arunachal Pradesh has ‘always been and will always be’ an integral part of the country. However, China seems to be in no mood to respect India’s territorial sovereignty. It was Arunachal that had witnessed a clash between Indian and Chinese troops at Tawang in December last year. India needs to hold its ground and remain on guard in the face of China’s posturing. Though China has repeatedly proved to be an unreliable neighbour, India has kept all lines of communication open and never shied away from expressing its genuine concerns. The onus is on Beijing to engage in a meaningful dialogue with New Delhi and walk the talk on disengagement and de-escalation in border areas by taking verifiable action on the ground.

https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:572adb90-d0a7-3fec-af41-4f2f72894dfe

AID-E-MEMOIRE FOR MIGRATION TO SPARSH.pdf (2)

SPARSH Handbook Final 14 Nov 2022

All Those who received msg from the Bank for their Pension A/C migrated to SPARSH. Please wait to receive your User ID & Password from SPARSH and follow these procedures as given below. XXXXXXXXXX

After you get Sparsh user ID and password the procedure detailed step-by-step:-

1. sparsh.defencepension.gov.in login click
2. Enter both user name* (14 digit) and password recieved from PCDA (your user name is your sparsh PPO number suffixed by 01, if password is not received go to forgot password option, and key in OTP recieved by regd mobile. You will get initial password) I’m not a robot left side click
3. Put new password. ( new Password should have Capital letter, small letter, special characters @/#/ &, Numbers). Please koop the user ID / password safely written for future use.
4. Next Log out .
5. Again Login using. ( new password.)
6. Alert screen shall come. Read & click ok .
7. Acknowledgement (Undertaking of Refund of Excess Payment) will come. Read and click Next .
8. Acknowledgement (Consent to use of Aadhaar to avail pensionary benefits through SPARSH) will come. I Agree below click Yes & click Next.
9. Acknowledgement (Consent for receiving notifications on mobile number and email ID) shall come. Read & click ESign Declaration .
10. Confirmation (You will be redirected to C-DAC website to eSign the declaration) will come. Read & click Ok .
11. C-DAC scree select Aadhar Number.
12. Aadhar No enter.
13. Select Aadhar OTP .
    Declaration Box. Touch and ensure Tick Mark.
    GET OTP.. click.
    Submit click .

Here you shall get OTP 6 digit in registered mobile number of aadhar.
Enter OTP .
Submit click .

14. We are processing your request, please wait…. .
15. Once Processing complete
    Acknowledgement shall come. Below that ‘Declarations file esigned successfully’ can be seen.
    Submit click .
16. Confirmation (Do you wish to submit Declaration?) .
    Ok click .
17. Acknowledgement (Your data has been submitted successfully…….. You will now be redirected to ‘Track Status’ ……….) .
    Ok click .
18. Next screen that appears – press ‘Refresh’ . next will come Screen/ information
19. Log out and log in back again.
20. In the Screen touch the three Line .
    Next My Profile click .

Next Manage Profile click
details – Update Profile (Personal, Service, Family, Bank, Other, Nominee, Documents) Check and verify all details, you can correct all the errors here then press Next, Next ,…… details and then click update.

(Note – To Amend Data : you shall click
Mark / Symbol in the Action column. Or lt side near Details you shall see a pencil symbol, click and amend / do correction.)
Now you complete Personal Data Verification (PDV) .

21. Log Out .
22. You can use the user name and new password password, log in to submit . Life Certificate.

Note:- if you are pre 2016 pensioner you will not be allowed to amend personal data, so 👆sl no 20 will be by-passed. However, SPARSH is in the process of opening up this also shortly.

For migrated pensioners who are unable to view their SPARSH PPOs, the same is under process by SPARSH and will be available once finalised by SPARSH.

Notwithstanding any of the above, PENSION WILL NOT BE STOPPED IF LC HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
HOW TO CHECK SPARSH MIGRATION STATUS

In addition to checking migration status as enunciated at Para 8 of Aide-Memoire,

pensioner can also log in to SPARSH website ,

Go to SERVICES TAB
Go to TRACK
Go to TRACK MIGRATION STATUS or KNOW YOUR SPARSH PPO AND IDENTIFICATION STATUS

Regards
TEAM NAVPEN

https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:572adb90-d0a7-3fec-af41-4f2f72894dfe

Dear all,

ECHS Website is working on this link… meanwhile issues with @gov.in are being resolved.

https://echs.pctiltd.com

To find the Empaneled hospital go the link given below, select Region on the top and then click “Submit” at the bottom of the page
• https://www.echsbpa.utiitsl.com/ECHS/HospitalCriteria.jsp
• https://www.echsbpa.utiitsl.com/ECHS/HospitalCriteria.jsp

IMPORTANT ADVISORY – ECHS
( BY COL SRIKANTHA)

Just now I got a call from one civilian friend of one of the members of this gp saying he has been brought to an EH in Bangalore ( i am not revealing the details please)
The EH is saying that they do not have a bed so they cannot admit him but will be treated as OPD,& they have to pay.
When I tried to advise them to speak to OIC PC & RC, he is not able to understand nor his wife is in a state of mind to understand. He wants me to speak to Army authorities & sort out the issue.
It is not that i cannot speak to someone & help.
The problem is that the veterans are not able make the NOK understand that they must know & have the contact details of the OIC PC & RC to whom they should contact in such a situation if the EHs are creating such problems.

Firstly the NOK and the family must know the contact details of OIC PC, DIR RC and JD HS of RC, must know the tele phone numbers of the EHs and also the list of EHs both in their mobile and and also in their note book so that they can first call the EH and find out if they are treating the ECHS Card holder and then only take the patient to the EH. the advantge is that the patient’s condition does not deterorate during the journey and waiting at the hospital and the other advantage is that the EHs will know that a patient with a particular ailment is reaching and necessary info can be given to the concerned specialist. During covid many hospitals did not have beds and many veterans have gone around one hospital to another through out the night and few have perished due to travel from home to many EHs. If ther is any problem with the EHs, after reaching there, they must seak to the billing section of the EH who deals with ECHS and he can also give the contact details of the concerned OIC PC and RC. A civilan with out the knowledge of army or ECHS is no use to sort out this issue. all veteran and familes must have the ECHS app in their mobile to take out the contact details in any emergency and be able to understand the procedures and whom to contact in such a situation. Most of the wifes may not like to listen and understad this issue as most of them feel that if they understand about the pension, actions to be taken on demise of the ESM etc the ESM will not live long or he will die very soon. This mind set has to change and they must understand the system and know how to handle. In any case few of us are there to help which is a separate issue.

Col. Srikantha

Second part of the facility at Capitol Complex to be completed by March next year

n a significant development that marks the culmination of nearly five-decade wait, the UT Administration has finally decided to carry out the completion work of the Martyr’s Memorial at the iconic Capitol Complex here.
https://cdn.vuukle.com/widgets/audio.html?version=1.2.0
Advertisementhttps://76c2017ef6b4a02a4df4a7c167349150.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

Tribune News Service

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, August 30

In a significant development that marks the culmination of nearly five-decade wait, the UT Administration has finally decided to carry out the completion work of the Martyr’s Memorial at the iconic Capitol Complex here.

Dedicated to Partition martyrs

The memorial is dedicated to the unknown martyrs who lost their lives during India’s Partition in 1947.

Work started in 1973

The construction of the memorial was divided into two parts. Sculptor Sanko Chaudhuri started the project in 1973, but only the first part was completed and the second part was left unfinished.

The UT Engineering Department has initiated the process by floating tenders for the installation of stone artwork, with an estimated cost of Rs 3.50 crore. Originally envisioned by renowned Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, this memorial is slated to be completed by March next year.

The memorial is dedicated to the unknown martyrs who lost their lives during India’s Partition in 1947. The memorial’s design comprises a square enclosure adorned with abstract Indian symbols, capturing the essence of the nation’s struggle for Independence. One facet of this enclosure extends into a ramp, which, when ascended, offers an elevated view of the magnificent structures within the Capitol Complex.

This artistic composition not only embodies the sacrifice of a martyr during their final moments of agony but also features two fragments of a shattered column surrounded by debris. These fragments poignantly symbolise the decline of the British Empire.

The construction of the memorial was divided into two parts. Sculptor Sanko Chaudhuri started the project in 1973, but only the first part was completed and the second part was left unfinished.

An official of the Engineering Department said tenders had been invited to carry out completion of the Martyr’s Memorial’s stone artwork. It will also include the restoration, preservation, conservation and management of the Capitol Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

During the quest for the UNESCO heritage tag for the Capitol Complex, the UT Administration had submitted to complete the project and subsequently, the complex received the UNESCO heritage tag in 2016. However, the memorial still remained incomplete. The Chandigarh Master Plan-2031 also mentions that the memorial remains incomplete within the Capitol Complex.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 30

China has defended its release of a new “standard map” for 2023 that shows Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as part of its territory, and asked India to “stay objective and calm” and not indulge in “overinterpreting” the issue.

The Foreign Office had on Tuesday lodged a strong diplomatic protest and said such steps only complicated the resolution of the boundary question. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said: “Making absurd claims doesn’t make others’ territories yours.” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing in Beijing on Wednesday that “on August 23, the Ministry of National Resources of China released the 2023 edition of the standard map”. “It is a routine practice in China’s exercise of sovereignty in accordance with the law. We hope relevant sides can stay objective and calm, and refrain from overinterpreting the issue,” he added when asked by a Beijing-controlled media house about his reaction to India’s diplomatic protest.