New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS): Union Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari Monday inaugurated a web-based payment monitoring system here to make the payment process for national highways-related work and services more transparent, an official said.

"This time-bound and result-oriented initiative would have a very effective impact on the system. By using this system, the ministry can independently check status of processing of bills office-wise and utilisation of funds scheme-wise," an official statement said citing the minister.

"Feedback generated from the system will assist the ministry in identifying bottlenecks and making the entire process mechanism more efficient," Gadkari said while launching the service.

The procedure for payment involves the division offices of the Public Works Department forwarding the bills to the Regional Office of the ministry after their verification.

Regional officers forward the bills in turn to a regional Pay and Accounts Office, which makes the payment after exercising checks in the capacity of the drawing and disbursing officer.

The ministry has already issued direction to entertain bills on a first-come-first-served basis. A time limit of five working days to dispose of a bill has also been prescribed in the mechanism, the statement added.