The government will set up a task force to collect lease rent arrears of government land as part of measures to mobilise resources to overcome the pandemic-induced financial crisis in the State.
Henceforth, lease rent will be calculated based on the market value of the land. The government will also recover unused land on the premises of government offices and public sector undertakings.
It has been decided not to renovate government offices and purchase furniture and vehicles for the next one year. All details of government vehicles, including those taken on contract, will have to be registered in Wheels, a web-based vehicle management system under the Finance Department. The purchase of a new vehicle, its maintenance, and posting of staff will be on the basis of data provided in Wheels.
Meetings to go online
As part of the austerity measures suggested by two expert committees, the government has asked the heads of departments to hold official meetings and training sessions online to the extent possible.
A unified office will be set up for the functioning of non-statutory judicial commissions. Similarly, welfare boards, commissions, and societies functioning in the same sector will be brought under one administrative control. The Planning and Personnel and Administrative Affairs Department will work out a road map within one month.
TA claims
The Finance Department will come up with a separate online section in Spark for government employees to submit their travel allowance claims, and to refund the allowance.
Unused space in offices and institutions will be assessed at the local-body level and offices working from rented buildings will be shifted to such offices. Offices that need more space may put forth such requests. The PWD has been asked to execute the directive in two months.
Bill discounting system, implemented first by the PWD to settle the bills of government contractors, will be adopted from November 1 for the bills of all departments. In three months, the Stores Purchase Department will auction materials not required in offices.