SB Order 15/2025: New SOP to Correct POSB Account Balance Differences Due to Pre-CBS Non-Migration
The Department of Posts has issued SB Order 15/2025 to resolve a long-pending challenge faced by both customers and post office staff—balance discrepancies in POSA, PPF, and SSA accounts arising from non-migration of transactions during the transition from Sanchay Post to the Finacle CBS platform.
The order, released on 20 November 2025, introduces a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to correct account balances where one or more pre-migration transactions were not carried over during CBS migration.
Why SB Order 15/2025 Was Issued
Several postal circles reported that customers were finding mismatches between:
- Passbook balance, and
- Finacle CBS balance
These discrepancies mainly occurred because some pre-migration transactions—especially in POSA, PPF, and SSA—were either missing or partially migrated from legacy systems like Sanchay Post.
Customers continued to face issues even though earlier instructions were already issued under:
- SB Order 18/2023 – For handling non-migrated accounts/certificates
- SB Order 18A/2023 – For non-migrated accounts of discontinued schemes
- OM dated 28.03.2024 – For relaxation of back value date submission procedures
However, circles still reported that balances were not tallying because certain legacy transactions never entered Finacle.
Why Updating Balances Became Difficult
Earlier, postal staff were allowed to update balances (including principal and interest) in Finacle through the HIARM menu.
But this practice was discontinued under SB Order 03/2024 due to accounting irregularities.
Once HIARM usage stopped, the circles had no mechanism to correct old discrepancies, resulting in more customer complaints.
What SB Order 15/2025 Introduces
To provide clarity and a standard method for resolving such cases, SB Order 15/2025 introduces a new SOP, detailed in Annexure-I of the order.
This SOP applies ONLY to:
- Post Office Savings Account (POSA)
- Public Provident Fund (PPF)
- Sukanya Samriddhi Account (SSA)
And only where the customer wishes to continue the account.
What the new SOP aims to resolve
The SOP provides a structured process for:
- Identifying missing pre-CBS transactions
- Verifying legacy records
- Reconstructing balances accurately
- Updating account balances through an approved, controlled method
- Ensuring customer accounts reflect correct, reconciled figures
This ensures transparency, accuracy, and customer trust across POSB operations nationwide.
Cases NOT Covered Under This SOP
The SOP does not apply to:
- Other POSB Schemes (RD, TD, MIS, SCSS, KVP, NSC, etc.)
- POSA/PPF/SSA accounts where the customer wants to close the account
Such cases must still be handled using the procedures outlined in earlier orders mentioned in paragraph 3 of the original circular.
Who Should Follow This SOP?
- All Head of Circles / Regions
- Post Offices handling POSB operations
- CBS migration teams
- Financial Services Division staff
The Directorate has instructed all circles to circulate the SOP widely for proper implementation.
Conclusion
SB Order 15/2025 is a welcome step toward resolving long-standing discrepancies caused by pre-CBS migration issues. The newly issued SOP will help ensure accurate balances, reduce customer grievances, and strengthen the reliability of POSB operations across India.