Implementation of e-Pradan from 01.12.2014
Finance Department intends to implement the second module of IFMS, viz. e-Pradan (e-Payment from 1st December, 2014) gradually covering all the treasuries and DDOs by 31st March, 2015.Government of West Bengal
Finance Department
NABANNA
325, Sarat Chatterjee Road Howrah-711 102
No. FS-173/2014 30th October, 2014.
The Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Secretary,
………………….. Department,
Government of West Bengal.
Sir/Madam,
You are aware that the Finance Department has initiated introduction of Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) with effect from 1st April, 2014. The first module which was rolled out from 1st April, 2014 was e-bantan which comprises online allotment of funds from the Finance Department through the administrative department upto the Drawing & Disbursing Officer (DDO). The e-bantan module has not only reduced the time for allotment to reach upto the lowest level but also improved the monitoring of fund release and expenditure. The e-bantan module is now being used all over the State for allotment of funds and has fairly stabilised.
2. The Finance Department now intends to implement the second module of IFMS, viz. e-Pradan (e-Payment from 1st December, 2014) gradually covering all the treasuries and DDOs by 31st March, 2015. A detailed guideline in this respect has been issued vide Memorandum No. 4905-F(Y) dated 17th September, 2014 which is available at www.wbfin.nic.in.
3. Under the present system, the treasuries including Pay & Accounts Offices (PAOs) issue cheques against the bills preferred in the Treasuries/PAOs. The cheques issued by the treasuries are mainly of the following types:
(i) Cheques issued against different Government schemes which are later encashed by the administrative departments and paid to the beneficiaries, either by cheque, money order or by transfer, credit to bank accounts viz., different types of pre-matric and post-matric scholarships, old age pension. Kanyashree etc.
(ii) Cheques in the names of individual Government employees against non-salary claims, etc.
(iii) Cheques in the names of contractors/agencies who either supply goods and services to the Government Organisations or execute any constructional work.
(iv) Cheques against Grant-in-Aid to different Non-Government Organisations/Govt. pensioners.
(v) Cheques for payment of pension by the treasuries.
4. Under the e-Pradan, all payments presently being made by treasuries through issuance of cheques will be discontinued. Payment will be made by direct transfer from the treasury to the bank account of the recipient including beneficiaries of different Government schemes.
5. The essential requirements for rolling out of e-Pradan are capturing the details of the bank account of the beneficiaries or the payees either in centralised or decentralised manner. These beneficiaries’ database needs to be captured and uploaded in the appropriate menu of e-Pradan module of IFMS. The modalities of capturing bank account details is given as under :
i. Many departments are already making payment to the beneficiaries of different Government schemes like Old Age Pension, Pre-Matric and Post-Matric scholarships, Kanyashree, etc. through direct bank transfer and, thus, have a centralised database of the beneficiaries. These departments are requested to provide copies of this database in the prescribed format (enclosed) in two CDs to the Finance Department for uploading in the e-Pradan module. In respect of such centralised database, the mode of payment to the beneficiaries would be directly from the treasury to the beneficiary bank account. The department will have to submit the bill at the respective treasury along with the payment advice.
ii. In case of availability of such data-base at the level on district/subordinate offices where the payment to the beneficiaries is made by the subordinate offices and not from the state headquarter, the following procedure may be adopted :
a) In case the department wants to introduce centralised payment to the beneficiary directly from the Pay & Accounts Offices/Bidhannagar Treasury to the beneficiaries, such beneficiary data may be collected from the subordinate offices and consolidated into a single data-base at the departmental level. Copies of the database in two CDs be provided to the Finance Department for uploading in the e-Pradan module.
b) For payments which are to be made in decentralised manner by the respective DDO/subordinate offices, for example, payment to employees against non-salary claims or to contractors/suppliers/agencies against welfare schemes, etc., the bank details will have to be captured by the concerned DDO directly in the e-Pradan module at the time to preparing the Bill before submission to the Treasury/Pay & Accounts Offices.
6. You are requested that the soft copies of the database of each scheme separately (in two CDs) be sent to Shri Goutam Chatterjee, OSD & ex-officio Joint Secretary, Finance Department by 10th November, 2014 positively. In case of any clarification, Shri Chatterjee may be contacted in the following contact number/e-mail address :
Phone/Mobile No.: (033) 2214-4019/ 94331-23844
e-mail: chatterjee.goutam @ gmail.com
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Sd/- H.K. Dwivedi, IAS
Principal Secretary
Enclo.: As stated.