Delhi, 25 October (H.S.): The Department of Legal Affairs announced on Saturday a significant milestone in procedural reform by fully integrating its primary legal database with the government's central payment system, creating a seamless, paperless process for disbursing fees to advocates.This major overhaul combines the Legal Information Management and Briefing System (LIMBS) with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS), eliminating a previously cumbersome and paper-intensive workflow.

The initiative is a key component of the government's broader push towards digital governance under its Digital India and Ease of Doing Business programs.Previously, the payment of fees to government law officers and panel advocates involved a slow process of physical paperwork, manual verification, and the submission of hard copies to the Pay & Accounts Office, often resulting in significant delays.

The new, enhanced e-Bill module digitizes the entire chain, from bill generation to final payment.Under the new system, bills generated by advocates on the LIMBS platform are now transmitted electronically to PFMS for digital verification and sanction. This integration reduces processing time, allows for real-time tracking of claims through a unique Claim Reference Number (CRN), and minimizes the potential for human error.

Once a claim is verified and digitally signed by the designated officer, payment is released directly to the beneficiary's bank account without any physical file movement.The Central Agency Section of the department first implemented this module for its panel advocates in February 2025.Following its success, the Department of Legal Affairs is now preparing to extend the system to other litigation units, including the Delhi High Court.

Additionally, a proposal is being considered to create a Retainer Fee Module within LIMBS to handle the periodic payments for Law Officers. This reform not only enhances speed and efficiency but also strengthens transparency and accountability in public expenditure, aligning with the objectives of Special Campaign 5.0 and the long-term vision of a Viksit Bharat @2047.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar