Prioritise spending: Finance Department Secretary tells departments
Perturbed over money allotted for various projects remaining unspent for years together, the Finance Department has issued guidelines suggesting other Departments on how to prioritise the ‘spending’.
Published: 10th May 2018 06:14 AM | Last Updated: 10th May 2018 06:14 AM | A+A A-
BHUBANESWAR: Perturbed over money allotted for various projects remaining unspent for years together, the Finance Department has issued guidelines suggesting other Departments on how to prioritise the ‘spending’ on various State-sponsored schemes and programme.
Now onwards the Administrative Departments will be authorised to incur expenditure on the basis of the provision made in the Annual Budget for 2018-19. The formats of various budget documents have been revised which now distinguishes the budgetary allocation in terms of revenue and capital expenditure and not in terms of Plan and Non-Plan.
Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey has asked Departments to give priority for programme/schemes where expenditure is reimbursable and which would lead to the completion of the incomplete projects besides the State’s own flagship programme.
Focus will be on programme expenditure schemes like Externally-aided Projects (EAP), Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) and other resource tied up schemes and State sector schemes like Biju KBK, Gopabandhu Gramin Yojana, Biju Gram Jyoti, Biju Saharanchal Bidyutikaran Yojana, Biju-Kandhamal O Gajapati Yojana, Madhubabu Pension Yojana, Basudha, Jalanidhi, Biju Setu Yojana, Mega lift irrigation scheme and disaster response funds besides central sector and centrally sponsored schemes.
“The Departments would ensure that the implementing agencies utilise scheme funds transferred to them. Before releasing money to the agencies it should also be ensured that they have utilised the same in the previous year and funds are not lying unutilised or parked in the bank accounts by the implementing agencies,” stated the letter of the Finance Secretary.
The time limit for submission of utilisation certificate in respect of grant-in-aid provided by the State Government and the Centre also needs to be scrupulously adhered to, the letter stated and added that the flow of expenditure should be evenly placed and commensurate with the revenue receipts.
