Welfare payments to take e-route from October 31

State Bank of India SBI has been given the lions share of e-payments and would handle them for the ministries of agriculture,home,finance. PNB would handle payments for the ministry of personnel,public grievances and pensions and ICICI Bank for the ministry of civil aviation.

Bank of Baroda will act as facilitator for the ministry of health,UCO Bank for ministry of mines,Union Bank of India for the coal ministry and State Bank of Bikaner amp; Jaipur for the ministries of rural development and panchayati raj.

Each bank has been assigned e-payment responsibilities to the beneficiaries of welfare schemes under the concerned ministries or departments, said an official of the finance ministry.

The government had asked select banks to submit details by October 1 in order to implement the project on a trial basis,but owing to their lack of preparedness,extended the deadline on October 15.

Bankers said that they have met the requirements and have submitted the details on time. We have met the second deadline submitted all required details asked by the finance ministry. We hope the e-payment system will be effective in the next 15 days or so, said a senior public sector banker.