March 2021 Central Govt Transactions: Closure & Reporting
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2020-21/108 · issued 18 Mar 2021 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI sets April 10, 2021 as the residual transaction closure date for March 2021. Agency banks must segregate March residual scrolls from April transactions, use special courier for late challans, and report separately to Link Cell for CAS Nagpur settlement.
The rule, in the simplest words
The government says all March 2021 payments and collections must be reported by April 10, 2021.
Banks must keep March 2021 leftover transactions separate from April 2021 transactions, using special labels like 'March Residual – 1'.
Branches must use courier or special messenger to send March 2021 papers to the main branch quickly.
Banks must send separate daily reports for March leftover transactions to the Link Cell for settlement with RBI CAS Nagpur.
All March 2021 transactions must be recorded in the 2020-21 financial year, not mixed with April 2021.
How it plays out — a real example
An agency-banking (government business) officer in Indore receives a late challan from a government department on April 5, 2021, for a March 31 tax payment. She immediately sends it by courier to the nodal branch, which labels it 'March Residual – 3' and prepares a separate scroll for March transactions, ensuring it is reported to the Link Cell for settlement in the 2020-21 financial year.
What changed
The Government of India fixed April 10, 2021 as the closure date for residual March 2021 transactions. Agency banks are now required to prepare separate main scrolls for March residual transactions (marked 'March Residual – 1, 2...') and April transactions during the first 10 days of April. Special messenger arrangements must be made for receiving branches to ensure all March payments and collections are accounted in FY 2020-21.
What it means for you
Banks must implement strict segregation of March residual and April transaction scrolls at nodal/focal point branches to avoid mixing up government accounts. This ensures accurate closure of FY 2020-21 government accounts. The separate reporting to Link Cell and CAS Nagpur will require additional operational coordination and daily memo preparation.
What you must do
Instruct all receiving branches to use courier or special messenger for forwarding March 2021 challans/scrolls to nodal/focal point branches by April 10, 2021.
Direct nodal/focal point branches to prepare separate main scrolls for March residual transactions (marked sequentially as March Residual-1, etc.) and April transactions from April 1 to April 10.
Ensure nodal/focal point branches send separate Daily Memos for March residual transactions to the Link Cell for daily settlement with RBI CAS Nagpur.
Verify that all March 2021 transactions up to March 31 are booked in FY 2020-21 accounts and not mixed with April 2021 transactions.
Issue immediate circular to all concerned branches with the prescribed procedure and timeline.
Who it affects
All agency banks handling Central Government transactions, Nodal/Focal Point branches of agency banks, Receiving branches (including non-local branches), Link Cells of banks at Nagpur, Departmental officials (Zonal Accounts Officers, Pay and Accounts Officers)
❓ Common questions
What is the deadline for reporting March 2021 residual transactions?
The closure date for residual March 2021 transactions is April 10, 2021. All such transactions must be reported by nodal/focal point branches to the Link Cell and RBI CAS Nagpur by this date.
How should March residual scrolls be labeled?
Main scrolls for March 2021 transactions prepared from April 1 to April 10 must be distinctly marked as 'March Residual – 1', 'March Residual – 2', and so on, in consecutive order.
What happens if a receiving branch sends a March transaction after April 10?
Transactions reported after April 10, 2021 will be accounted for in the usual manner in the accounts of the month of reporting, i.e., April 2021 or later, and not in FY 2020-21.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2020-21/108
DGBA.GBD.No.S-140/42.01.029/2020-21
March 18, 2021
All Agency Banks
Madam/Dear Sir,
Reporting and Accounting of Central Government transactions of March 2021
Please refer to Circular DGBA.GBD.No.1744/42.01.029/2019-20 dated March 17, 2020 advising the procedure to be followed for reporting and accounting of Central Government transactions (including CBDT, CBIC, Departmentalized Ministries and Non-Civil Ministries) at the Receiving/Nodal/Focal Point branches of your bank for the Financial Year 2019-20.
2. The Government of India has decided that the date of closure of residual transactions for the month of March 2021 be fixed as April 10, 2021. In view of the ensuing closing of government accounts for the financial year 2020-21, receiving branches including those not situated locally, should adopt special arrangements such as courier service etc., for passing on challans/scrolls etc., to the Nodal/Focal Point branches so that all payments and collections made on behalf of government towards the end of March are accounted for in the same financial year. These instructions regarding special messenger arrangements may please be informed to all branches concerned.
3. As regards reporting of March 2021 transactions by Nodal/Focal Point branches in April 2021, the branches may be advised to follow the procedure as outlined in the Annex . To sum up, the nodal/Focal Point branches will be required to prepare separate set of scrolls, one pertaining to March 2021 residual transactions and another for April transactions during the first 10 days of April 2021. The Nodal/Focal Point branches should also ensure that the accounts for all transactions (revenues/tax collections/payments) are effected at the receiving branches up to March 31, 2021 in the accounts for the current financial year itself and are not mixed up with the transactions of April 2021. Also, while reporting transactions pertaining to March 2021 up to April 10, 2021, the transactions of April 2021 should not be mixed up with the residual transactions relating to March 2021.
4. Kindly issue necessary instructions in the matter to your branches concerned immediately.
Yours faithfully
(R. Kamalakannan)
Chief General Manager
Encl: As above
ANNEX
Reporting of March 2021 transactions
1. Beginning from April 1, 2021, the Nodal/Focal Point branches will segregate on a daily basis all scrolls/challans pertaining to March 2021 received from the receiving branches concerned and prepare separate main scrolls for:
scrolls for transactions of March 2021 or earlier period (i.e. effected during the previous financial year 2020-21) and
scrolls pertaining to current transactions (i.e. those effected from April 1, 2021 onwards).
2. The main scrolls for March 2021 transactions prepared from April 1 to April 10, 2021 are to be distinctly marked as March Residual – 1, March Residual – 2 and so on upto April 10, 2021. In other words, serial number should be allotted in consecutive order for each main scroll of March 2021 transactions sent from April 1 to April 10, 2021. These scrolls along with the copies of daily summary of Receipts and Payments prepared separately for March 2021 transactions will be forwarded to the Departmental Officials concerned (i.e. Zonal Accounts Officers/Pay and Accounts Officers and Designated Officers) in the usual way. The Nodal/Focal Point branches will also be required to report the above transactions to the Link Cell through separate Daily Memos. These advices must be sent to enable the Link Cell of each bank at Nagpur, to make daily settlement with Reserve Bank of India, Central Accounts Section (CAS) Nagpur. On receipt of advices from the Nodal/Focal Point branches, the Link Cell should segregate the advices for the March Residual transactions and forward them separately to Reserve Bank of India, CAS, Nagpur. This procedure should continue upto and inclusive of April 10, 2021 only. All transactions reported thereafter by the receiving branches will be reported and accounted for in the usual manner in the accounts of the month of report irrespective of the date of transaction. Following the special arrangements for March 2021 transactions, it is necessary for the Nodal/Focal Point branches to prepare two sets of DMS to be submitted to Zonal Accounts Officers/Pay and Accounts Officers for March 2021 transactions – one for transactions upto March 31, 2021 and another for March Residual transactions adjusted by Nodal/Focal Point branches with Reserve Bank of India, Central Accounts Section, Nagpur, during April 1 to April 10, 2021.
3. Since the Nodal/Focal Point branch will also be reporting the April 2021 transactions pertaining to year 2021-22 in addition to March 2021 Residual transactions, monthly statement for April 2021 transactions should be compiled and furnished to Zonal Accounts Officers/Pay and Accounts Officers in the usual way. In order to distinguish the April 2021 (year 2021-22) and March Residual Transactions, the statement pertaining to March Residual Transactions should be clearly marked as "March Residual Account". The statement of March (Residual) Transactions should be sent by all Focal Point Branches to Zonal Accounts Officers/Pay and Accounts Officers latest by April 18, 2021.
Note: As advised in our circular GA.NB.No.376/42.01.001/1995-96 dated May 22, 1996 all the cheques/amounts realized on or before March 31, 2021 should be treated as transactions relating to the current financial year as "March 2021 or March Residual Transactions", the reporting of which may take place during the month of April (upto April 10, 2021). But if any cheque is tendered on or before March 31, 2021 and realised on or after April 1, 2021, it will be treated as transaction for the next financial year as "April Transactions". Accordingly, the banks will prepare separate scrolls for March 2021 and April 2021 (Financial year 2021-22) transactions.
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2020-21/108 · issued 18 Mar 2021. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Instruct all receiving branches to use courier or special messenger for forwarding March 2021 challans/scrolls to nodal/focal point branches by April 10, 2021.
Direct nodal/focal point branches to prepare separate main scrolls for March residual transactions (marked sequentially as March Residual-1, etc.) and April transactions from April 1 to April 10.
Ensure nodal/focal point branches send separate Daily Memos for March residual transactions to the Link Cell for daily settlement with RBI CAS Nagpur.
Issue immediate circular to all concerned branches with the prescribed procedure and timeline.
📜 Compliance
Verify that all March 2021 transactions up to March 31 are booked in FY 2020-21 accounts and not mixed with April 2021 transactions.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template
Example: if you are a Branch Manager at a bank this circular applies to (All agency banks handling Central Government transactions, Nodal/Focal Point branches of agency banks, Receiving branches (including non-local branches), Link Cells of banks at Nagpur, Departmental officials (Zonal Accounts Officers, Pay and Accounts Officers)), your first concrete step on “March 2021 Central Govt Transactions: Closure & Reporting” is: “Instruct all receiving branches to use courier or special messenger for forwarding March 2021 challans/scrolls to nodal/focal point branches by April 10, 2021.” (RBI issued this 18 Mar 2021).
Circular: RBI/2020-21/108 -- March 2021 Central Govt Transactions: Closure & Reporting
Issued: 18 Mar 2021
Action required: Instruct all receiving branches to use courier or special messenger for forwarding March 2021 challans/scrolls to nodal/focal point branches by April 10, 2021.
Action required: Direct nodal/focal point branches to prepare separate main scrolls for March residual transactions (marked sequentially as March Residual-1, etc.) and April transactions from April 1 to April 10.
Action required: Ensure nodal/focal point branches send separate Daily Memos for March residual transactions to the Link Cell for daily settlement with RBI CAS Nagpur.
Action required: Verify that all March 2021 transactions up to March 31 are booked in FY 2020-21 accounts and not mixed with April 2021 transactions.
Action required: Issue immediate circular to all concerned branches with the prescribed procedure and timeline.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.
💬 Banker Discussion
Discuss this circular with fellow bankers — reply, upvote what helps, report what doesn’t belong. Be professional; no client data. Views are the commenter’s own, not BankPulse’s.
BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 03 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly). Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=12040&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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