The government on Thursday fully digitalized the fertilizer subsidy ecosystem with the launch of an integrated e-Bill System, a move aimed at improving transparency, efficiency, and financial governance in subsidy disbursal worth nearly Rs 2 lakh crore annually.
The system was inaugurated by Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Jagat Prakash Nadda at Kartavya Bhawan, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India vision and the broader goal of achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Addressing the event, Nadda said the new platform would strengthen transparent, technology-driven governance by replacing manual, paper-based processes with a fully digital workflow. The system enables end-to-end electronic processing of fertilizer subsidy bills, eliminating physical movement of documents and significantly reducing processing time.
Secretary (Fertilizers) Rajat Kumar Mishra described the launch as a major milestone in modernizing the department’s financial operations. The e-Bill System marks a shift to system-to-system processing through a technological integration between the Department of Fertilizers’ Integrated Financial Management System (iFMS) and the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) under the Controller General of Accounts, Ministry of Finance.
According to Chief Controller of Accounts Santosh Kumar, the integrated platform enhances accountability by creating a centralized and tamper-proof digital audit trail for all transactions. Senior officials can now monitor expenditures in real time, strengthening financial control and oversight.
Joint Secretary (Finance & Accounts) Manoj Sethi said the system will accelerate payment timelines, including the timely release of weekly fertilizer subsidy payments. Fertilizer companies will be able to submit claims online and track payment status in real time, reducing the need for physical follow-ups.
The integration eliminates duplicate data entry, reduces manual errors, and improves data accuracy while simplifying system maintenance and supporting informed decision-making and budget management.
Senior Technical Director Aseem Gupta of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) explained the platform’s architecture, with NIC’s technical team supporting implementation and demonstration. The system includes built-in controls to validate payments against predefined criteria, log every action for audit purposes, and reduce the risk of fraud or misuse.
Senior officials, including Additional Secretaries Aneeta C Meshram and Aparna Sharma, and Joint Secretaries K K Pathak and Anurag Rohatagi, were present at the event. The launch underscores the government’s push toward transparent, efficient, and technology-driven administration in one of its largest subsidy programs.