PFMS Strengthened To Ensure Transparency, Timely Cash Disbursal To Beneficiaries: Govt

New Delhi, Feb 11 (KNN) The government has said that the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) has been strengthened with multiple cash management and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) modules to enhance transparency, accountability and timely fund disbursal.

In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said PFMS is a web-based online transaction system for fund management and e-payment to implementing agencies and beneficiaries. It has been mandated as a single platform for payment, accounting and reconciliation of government transactions and DBT, integrating various standalone systems.

To improve fund management, several cash management modules have been introduced, including Single Nodal Agency (SNA), Treasury Single Account (TSA), Central Nodal Agency (CNA), and Single Nodal Agency Samyochit Pranali Ekikrit Shighra Hastantaran (SNA SPARSH).

The SNA SPARSH and SPARSH–DBT modules for Centrally Sponsored Schemes are ensuring just-in-time release of funds. These measures have enabled real-time tracking of fund flows and significantly reduced delays in disbursement, with payments being directly credited into beneficiaries' bank accounts.

The Minister further stated that PFMS has updated its DBT module to streamline operations and improve efficiency. Key improvements include transition from bulk rejection to partial acceptance of claim files, and advance sharing of de-seeded and seeded Aadhaar data with external systems. Technological and procedural enhancements are undertaken regularly based on user feedback.

To strengthen grievance redressal, PFMS has introduced a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. The CRM automatically generates a ticket for each grievance, sends an acknowledgement with a ticket number, allows users to track status, and provides FAQs on the PFMS Helpdesk Portal.

PFMS also conducts Open House sessions every Monday and Wednesday for users to resolve issues. Additionally, DBT Open House sessions are held daily from 12 noon to 1 pm through video conferencing to address queries of PFMS users, including citizens.

The Government said these initiatives are aimed at improving transparency, reducing fund flow delays and enhancing user experience across schemes implemented through PFMS.

(KNN Bureau)