Hardeep Puri Launches Smart Imprest Cards & E- Measurement Book (e-MB) On PFMS Portal for CPWD

NEW DELHI: Hardeep Puri, Minister of State (I/C) for Housing & Urban Affairs has launched Smart Imprest Cards & e- Measurement Book (e-MB) on PFMS portal for CPWD. Durga Shankar Mishra, Secretary, M/o HUA, officials of Ministry of Finance and banks were also present at the launch function. With the launch of e-MB module on PFMS Portal in CPWD, this will be the first integrated web-based module in Civil Ministries to monitor both the financial progress i.e. utilization of funds along with related physical progress captured as per schedule of various items of works through e-MB in all projects/works undertaken by CPWD.
The launch of Smart Imprest cards with end to end digitization of entire process introduced for the first time in Civil Ministry will enable maximization of Digital payments to achieve ultimately 100 per cent digitization of payments in MoHUA thereby also fulfilling objectives of Digital India mission. The Smart Imprest cards are proposed to be introduced in more than 400 offices of Ministry spread all over the country. Three accredited banks i.e Axis bank for main Ministry, SBI for CPWD and IDBI bank for Printing are partnering with MoHUA for this roll out on all India basis.
Government’s major construction organization Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has undergone a major digital transformation. This has been done by networking of all the 400 field offices of CPWD across the country by rolling out a special integrated web-based system of Public Financial Management System (PFMS) ensuring digital payments and accounting w.e.f July 2017. With this, CPWD has become the first organization of any civil ministry to become 100 per cent digital at the field level.
CPWD executes around 15,000 Projects/works across the country involving annual payments of 15,000- 20000 crores every year by its 400 field offices located all over the country including Remote, Hilly and North-Eastern parts. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has evolved a special CDDO module of PFMS for CPWD which was developed by PFMS team of Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Ministry of Finance. CDDO module of PFMS is an advanced online web based end-to-end integrated system/solution of e-payments (digital), e-accounting with Management Information System. This module enables real time monitoring of expenditure in respect of all CPWD projects thereby ensuring efficient utilization of funds along with greater transparency and accountability in expenditure.
After digitization of CPWD Payments in July/August 2017, a process was initiated to digitize the Schedule of Agreements and Measurement Book to track physical progress of works/projects implemented by CPWD. A special integrated portal of e- Measurement Book module on PFMS has been evolved by office of CCA in MoHUA in consultation with CPWD which has been developed by PFMS team of CGA to enable online real time monitoring of physical progress of any work/project undertaken by any CPWD division in the country. A Pilot run of e- MB module for all projects costing more than 15 lakhs has been implemented in all CPWD Divisions in Delhi region. Based on its success and stabilization, it is proposed to roll out E-MB module in all 400 CPWD offices in the country.
This is the first integrated web-based module in Civil Ministries to monitor and track both the financial progress i.e. utilization of funds along with related physical progress captured through e-MB as per schedule of various items of works in CPWD works/projects. Considering Government of India’s emphasis of transitioning from mere “Outlays” to result oriented “Outputs and Outcomes”, this web-based e-MB module will facilitate better comprehensive results-based monitoring of CPWD works/projects on a real time basis.
CPWD became the first field Organization in Civil Ministries to achieve 100 per cent digitization of payments in July 2017 on web based PFMS portal with coverage of all its 400 field offices spread in the country. Consequent to digitization of payments in CPWD done in July 2017, around 97 per cent of payments made in MoHUA were through cashless/digital mode. However around 2-3 per cent payments were made through issue of cheques. This included around 8000 ‘B’ category cheques issued for Imprest related cash payments. To maximize cash less transaction in the M/o Housing and Urban Affairs and achieve 100 per cent digitization of payments, it has been decided to discontinue issue of Cheque payments. Further as a step forward, it has been decided to introduce Smart Imprest Cards in lieu of ‘B’ Category cheques earlier used for Imprest payments.