With the Manohar Lal Khattar Government in Haryana beginning the process for preparation of State budget 2018-19, all departments have been directed to submit details of their unutilised funds lying idle in bank accounts or fixed deposit receipts.
The directions were issued after Government’s observations that unutilised funds provided for development activities are sometimes parked in bank accounts/FDRs etc by some of the departments.
All departments, Boards, Corporations and registered Government societies in Haryana have been asked to submit comprehensive details related to unutilised funds provided for development activities under various schemes or projects in current financial year 2017-2018 (upto December 2017) and previous two fiscal years 2016-17, 2015-16.
Every year, funds amounting to crores of rupees for various schemes or projects remain unused by the Government departments.
The State Government has written a communiqué in this regard to all administrative secretaries, heads of departments, managing directors of all Boards or corporation and registrar of all the universities.
“It has been observed that unutilised funds provided for development activities under various schemes or projects are sometimes parked in bank accounts/FDRs etc by some of the departments inspite of instructions issued by Finance Department from time to time,” said the letter.
It further stated, “It has also been observed that significant funds of Boards or Corporations and registered Government societies are lying idle in bank accounts/FDRs.”
The Government has sent two separate formats for the submission of information related to unutilised funds.
In the first format, the Government has sought details of ‘funds’ created by the departments, Boards, Corporations and registered Government societies alongwith sources of funds and bank accounts details in three fiscal years.
While in another performa, details of funds deposited in different bank accounts/FDRs etc alongwith sources of funds received by the Departments, Boards, Corporation and registered Government societies through State budget, Government of India or any other source in fiscal 2017-18 (upto December), 2016-17 and 2015-16 has to be submitted.
Notably, the State’s finances depict a dismal scenario with Haryana’s debt liability projected at Rs 141854 crore for the current fiscal 2017-18. The Government has estimated debt liability at Rs 1.41 lakh crore for the current financial year, up by 13 per cent over the debt of Rs 1.24 lakh crore for 2016-17.
The BJP led Haryana Government will present its fourth budget at the end of February or in the first week of March 2018.
Ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP Government is likely to make some populist announcements in the next budget.
Also, the budget 2018-19 could be the current State Government's last full-fledged budget if the elections to Lok Sabha and all State Legislative Assemblies are held together in the year 2019.