SPARSH and NRIs 2024

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Pradeep Kanthan

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Jul 8, 2024, 7:55:13 PM7/8/24

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Dear All,

Does anyone know how to access the SPARSH portal without an Aadhar card and India number?

My question is more rhetorical than a query as after getting a VPN, the portal is visible, and one can get information about original PPO and Sparsh PPO which is helpful but of no use if one does not have an Aadhar Card.

As long as one is getting their pensions, it is all good, but the moment of truth is submitting the Life Certificate.

Question: Will banks continue to accept the Life Certificate?

There is a stock reply 'Ask Sparsh or Go to Sparsh'. I get this response from RODRA, the Bank and everyone else.

NRIs without Aadhar Card are a minority and their case is of little importance.

Is there any solution to getting an Aadhar Card while overseas or getting into SPARSH without one?

Grateful for any response.

Regards

Lt Col Pradeep Kanthan

CHAI RAO

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Jul 25, 2024, 9:18:15 AM7/25/24

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I was in Pune recently. I was researching exactly this subject for my mother-in-law who is an NRI family pensioner. She does not have an Aadhar card or an India mobile number. As you all know, the SPARSH website is geofenced outside of India, so she is unable to access it. She was very worried about how to submit her Life Certificate later this year for her pension, since the bank in Chennai had bluntly told her to go directly to Sparsh. Unfortunately this was impossible since there was no clarity anywhere online on how an NRI can access Sparsh (the only way is to get an India VPN to get onto sparsh. This willl still require an India mobile number to receive an OTP -- this gets difficult for an 80 year old pensioner to navigate, and just not worth all the hassle). Also, any modifications to your Sparsh account will require an Aadhar card, so it basically meant that she could not access it whatever she did.

However, the Sparsh cell at Bombay Sappers (BEG) were very helpful in helping me navigate the issue. Her account had been migrated to Sparsh in 2023, but neither the bank nor Sparsh had reported the SPARSH PPO# to her. This is a key piece of information to communicate with Sparsh.

Using her old PPO #, and other information such as the bank account number, personal id and husband's name, the Bombay Sappers Sparsh officer called PCDA Prayagraj (number is 18001805325), and obtained her new Sparsh number. After this, we could send a message to a PCDA Allahabad mobile number (this is the office that deals with Officers’ pensions). This number is +91-73930-73973. She needed income statements, which they sent to us after I sent a whatsapp message to this number and making a specific request for the same.

Also, when I called this PCDA Allahabad number, I was also told that the Life Certificate (obtained from the Indian Consultate in USA) can be submitted to this same number in November to ensure continuation of the pension for 2024-2025.

Basically, there is no need for Aadhar card for older NRI pensioners who have been away from India for a long time and who may never be able to obtain it either. Any changes to the account require an Aadhar card, so it was a good thing that I happened to be in Pune and obtain enough information for her to deal with Sparsh. Not directly through the website, but definitely via whatsapp messaging to specified mobile numbers.