Chandigarh, Oct 5 (NationPress) The Directorate of Treasury and Accounts in Punjab has launched a series of digital transformation initiatives designed to modernize the administration, boost transparency, and enhance efficiency across all governmental sectors, as stated by state Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Sunday.

These reforms, which encompass accounting, audit, fund management, and citizen services, represent a significant move towards fully digital governance in Punjab.

Cheema announced that the Directorate has established the SNA-SPARSH, a new fund flow mechanism for centrally-sponsored schemes, resulting in an anticipated incentive of Rs 450 crore for the fiscal year 24-25.

This integrated framework links the public financial management system (PFMS), state IFMS, and RBI's E-kuber system, aiming to increase cash liquidity in the treasury while minimizing unutilized funds held in bank accounts.

"A dedicated SNA SPARSH treasury has been set up to support this mechanism, with the state now targeting an incentive of Rs 350 crore under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment for the fiscal year 2025-26 (SASCI 2025-26)," Cheema mentioned in a statement.

In addition to this, the Finance Minister highlighted the development of the Pensioner Sewa Portal, created in collaboration with the Punjab Development Commission, which aims to establish a centralized database for all pensioners and enable online processing of pension cases between banks and the treasury.

This portal allows functions such as sending e-PPO from treasury to banks, offering pensioners real-time tracking of updates, managing grievances, integrating life certificates, and allowing submission of update requests.

Furthermore, discussing the new audit management system (AMS), the Finance Minister noted that it provides all stakeholders with real-time access to audit reports and enhances oversight, with regular review meetings at the Administrative Secretary level for timely resolution of audit issues.

"The DTA also intends to incorporate the Accountant General's audit reports into its future roadmap," Cheema added.

Moreover, the new initiatives include a non-treasury module, a non-treasury accounting system developed in partnership with the Accountant General (AG) office to streamline accounting processes for the Forest and Works Departments. This system automates the submission of monthly accounts by all divisions within these departments, according to the Finance Minister.

Additionally, he mentioned that the government has initiated the use of e-vouchers for all bills across Punjab, a step expected to significantly reduce costs associated with stationery, travel, and the management of physical vouchers submitted to the AG Punjab.

He stated that the necessary hardware for storing these e-vouchers has been procured and installed at the AG premises.

Cheema emphasized that by automating departmental accounts and ensuring efficient central fund flow through SNA-SPARSH, alongside digitizing the entire audit and pension processes, these initiatives will yield significant savings, enhance accountability, and, most importantly, improve service delivery to both employees and citizens.