The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions has recently taken a notable decision to integrate the electronic Pension Payment Order (e-PPO) with the Digi Locker platform. This move is set to significantly enhance the ease of living for central government civil pensioners.
e-PPO’s Integration with Digi Locker: An Overview
The e-PPO, or electronic Pension Payment Order, is a document generated through the Public Finance Management System (PFMS). In an effort to make life easier for central government civil pensioners, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions has decided to integrate this payment order with Digi Locker. The integration will serve to create a permanent record of each pensioner’s respective PPO in their Digi Locker, effectively eliminating the need for physical copies.
Benefits of the New Arrangement
Aside from creating a digital record of pension orders, this initiative carries several other benefits. Firstly, it will negate all delays that previously resulted in getting the PPO to new pensioners. Secondly, the integration will provide a smoother transition into retirement for employees who are about to retire.
The Integration Process Explained
The facility for this integration has been facilitated by the ‘Bhavishya’ software, an online pension sanction and payment tracking system. Retiring employees will have the option to link their Digi-locker account with their “Bhavishya” account, allowing them to seamlessly receive their e-PPO. Furthermore, the system allows both individuals and administrative authorities to track pension and other retirement benefits, ensuring transparency.
About the Public Financial Management System (PFMS)
Launched during 2009 as a Central Sector Scheme of Planning Commission, the PFMS was initially known as Central Plan Schemes Monitoring System (CPSMS). Its primary objective is to ensure a sound Public Financial Management System for the Government of India by establishing an efficient fund-flow system and a payment cum accounting network. The PFMS is a web-based software application that has been developed and implemented by the Office of Controller General of Accounts (CGA), under the Ministry of Finance.
Digi Locker: A Flagship Initiative
The Digi Locker platform is part of the Digital India programme and comes as a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY). Its mission is to provide access to authentic digital documents to all citizens via a digital wallet, thus promoting ‘Digital Empowerment’. With the new integration of e-PPO, it can serve as a secure digital hub for pensioners to keep track of their pension payment orders.
Clearly, this progressive integration of e-PPO with Digi Locker aims to simplify the lives of retirees, while also adding a layer of accountability and transparency to the pension payment process.