The Working Group constituted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appreciated the e-transaction model of Odisha which has centralised automated receipt and payment system using payment platform of the RBI. It has advised all other States to customise the Odisha model of e-transaction as an effective tool of e-governance.
The Working Group members comprising RBI Regional Director PK Jena and its senior officials, CAG of India, Controller General of Accounts and members from three States Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha (Additional Chief Secretary, Finance and Director of Treasury) met at the State Secretariat here on Wednesday. Chief Secretary JK Mohapatra also participated in the meeting.
The meeting deliberated on e-receipts and e-payment systems adopted by different State Governments before picking best practices, which would be developed into a standardised operating procedure for e-transactions in all the States. The Working Group aims to bring uniformity and standardise procedures and data structures in e-receipts and e-transaction among the State Governments. The deliberations revealed that Odisha is ahead in developing the e-transaction system.
The Working Group, which visited the Treasury portal in the office of the Directorate of Treasury, appreciated the model adopted by the State, stating that the system has substantially reduced human errors.
The State Finance Department introduced the electronic receipt system of State Government taxes and dues on February 26, 2010. In 2011, it facilitated payment of Commercial Taxes by the tax payers through the State Bank of India online. Subsequently, such a payment facility in respect of these taxes as well as other Government dues was brought into the fold of e-receipt through the Odisha Treasury portal.
Sources said that in order to widen the reach of this e-governance initiative, the State Government in consultation with the RBI and the Principal Accounts General (A&E), decided to accept payments on account of all Government receipts through accredited banks of the Cyber Treasury and the reporting and accounting of these receipts would be made through the RBI and the Cyber Treasury.
Further, all the authorised public and private sector banks integrated with the Odisha Treasury portal and accredited to the Cyber Treasury could collect the Government taxes and dues. Besides, all banks, RBI, Treasury and all Government departments are said to have been integrated with Treasury automation.
Various e-governance services were rolled out to 165 treasuries of the State by August 12 this year, sources add. Besides, the State Government has launched an Electronic Fund Monitoring System (EFMS) since November 16, 2012 for faster payment of wages electronically to the workers employed for schemes under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the State.
The state is the first to make it a State-wide success among the four pilot States, Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha and Rajasthan.