Tripura’s Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Tinku Roy on Monday assured beneficiaries that the recent delay in the disbursement of social pensions is temporary and has been caused by the implementation of a new central fund release mechanism, SNA-SPARSH. He expressed confidence that regular monthly pension payments would resume from next month after the ongoing technical issues are resolved.
Addressing the media, the minister explained that the SNA-SPARSH (Single Nodal Agency–System for Payment and Reconciliation Support) is a real-time fund release mechanism introduced by the Central Government. Under the new system, both the Centre’s and the state’s share of funds are transferred directly to beneficiaries’ accounts on a “just-in-time” basis, replacing the earlier practice of releasing funds several months in advance.
“Previously, the Centre used to release its share of funds for five to six months in advance. With the introduction of the real-time payment mechanism, some technical challenges have emerged during the transition. Our department is working tirelessly to resolve these issues, and we expect the regular monthly pension payments to be restored from next month,” Roy said.
The minister added that the government is currently creating and streamlining bank accounts to ensure the smooth implementation of the new system without any future disruptions.
Responding to questions about the possibility of increasing the social pension amount, Roy said the state government is committed to providing maximum support within its financial capacity. He pointed out that while each beneficiary in Tripura receives Rs 2,000 per month as social pension, the Central Government contributes only Rs 200, with the remaining Rs 1,800 being borne by the state exchequer.
“It is not easy to bring parity with states like Assam or West Bengal because Tripura’s financial resources are comparatively limited. Despite these constraints, the government remains committed to protecting the interests of beneficiaries,” he said.
The minister’s clarification comes amid growing concern among thousands of social pension beneficiaries, many of whom had reported that they had not received their monthly pension for the past couple of months. The delay had left several beneficiaries uncertain about the status of their payments, prompting demands for an official explanation.
The government has assured that the issue is being addressed on priority and that normal pension disbursement will resume once the transition to the new fund release mechanism is completed.
