GEN. KHANDURI INAUGURATES 'NATIONAL
HIGHWAYS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM'
The Union Minister
of Road Transport and Highways, Maj. Gen. (Retd.) B. C. Khanduri
today inaugurated the new National Highways Financial Management
Information System (NHFMIS), here. The Ministry of Road Transport
and Highways has developed the new System for the automation of
various financial management processes involved in the construction
and maintenance of National Highways. With NHFMIS, the Ministry
is seeking to use information technology for better management
and enhanced coordination amongst the various agencies involved
in the construction and management of National Highways.
Speaking on the occasion,
Gen. Khanduri said that the highways sector is witnessing an unprecedented
thrust due to various road development projects launched at the
initiative of the Hon’ble Prime Minister. Out of a total National
Highways length of 58112 km, nearly 24,000 km are being taken
up for 4-laning, making it one of the biggest highway development
programmes in the world in the given time frame, he said. With
the Ministry spending almost Rs. 40-50 Crore per day on highways’
development, the launching of NHFMIS, he remarked, could not have
come at a better time. With highway development works moving full
steam ahead, NHFMIS will harness information technology to streamline
the various financial management processes involved in the construction
and maintenance of National Highways, he said. He also hoped that
the System will usher in greater transparency and efficiency by
eliminating man-made delays and ensuring timely payments.
Giving details of
the System, the Chief Controller of Accounts (CCA) of the Ministry
of Road Transport and Highways, Sh. V. N. Kaila said that NHFMIS
will be able to monitor the financial progress of works throughout
the country enabling the Ministry to make timely allocation of
funds in line with the actual requirement. The web based technology
and internet based system will also facilitate the provision of
services to the engineering divisions and the interested parties,
he said. With a single data base being hosted on a web server,
all the agencies involved will be able to access and use real
time information resulting into better financial management of
the National Highways works, he informed. The System will vastly
improve coordination amongst PWD divisions, Regional offices,
Regional Pay and Accounts offices, Director General Roads and
the Ministry, resulting in better accountability, transparency
and efficiency, he said.
