Finance Department authorises release of 90% funds for deptts

Jammu, Jan 10: Finance department has authorised further release of funds under Revenue budget, out of Budget Estimates (BE) 2024-25 through BEAMS, in favour of all the departments for the current financial year.

Release of funds has been made to the extent of 90 percent of Budget Estimates (BE) 2024-25 or as per reworked figures of Revised Estimates (RE) 2024-25, whichever is less.

Authorisation has been conveyed for fund release, in continuation to Government Order No 268-F of 2024 dated August 16, 2024, in respect of salary; honorarium and remuneration; stipend and scholarship; diet expenses; wages (outsourcing); pensionary charges (NPS) and leave encashment.

The utilization of funds so authorized today will also be subject to the detailed conditions as stipulated in order issued on August 16, 2024.

Through order issued on August 16, 2024, the Finance department had sanctioned the authorisation of 80 percent capex budget, including the district capex out of approved Budget Estimates (BE) 2024-25 (regular budget) for the current financial year 2024-25, in favour of all the departments and District Development Commissioners (DDCs).

Specified terms and conditions stipulated under this order for the utilization of funds include persisting ban on engagement on casual workers, need based workers.

The release of these funds through Budget Estimation, Allocation and Monitoring System (BEAMS) as well as expenditure thereof will be subject to the uploading of works and activities on BEAMS portal as per the work plans duly approved by the competent authority for the current financial year 2024-25.

The administrative departments have been asked to thoroughly examine the list of the existing works already uploaded on BEAMS and streamline the same by eliminating non-priority and non-starter works or activities.

The departments have been asked to focus on completion of ongoing and new works rather than starting large numbers of underfunded works or spreading of resources thinly over the number of years.

Stipulations mention that the timeline for completion of new works or activities taken up for execution during the financial year 2024-25, should be between one to two years. In rare cases of mega-projects, the department may extend the timeline up to three years.

As per stipulations, the main focus of the departments and DDCs must be on outcomes in terms of benefit to the public and all departments will prepare their annual plans delineating clear outcomes.

In terms of Rule-136(1) of GFR, no works will be started or liability incurred in connection with it until administrative approval has been obtained from the appropriate authority in each case and a sanction to incur expenditure has been obtained from the competent authority, besides fulfilling other specifications.

Each work should be 100 percent physically verified and third party test inspections will be conducted in respect of high value works.

No diversion will be made under any pretext unless expressly authorized by the Finance department, it has been specified.

As per stipulations, all the government transactions will be made through electronic mode without involving any cash transactions in the government offices or other offices which are directly or indirectly controlled by the government, excepting for few very small denominations.

Avenues of reducing non-priority revenue expenditure should be pursued consistently through rationalization or re-deployment of staff, cadre reviews, strict biometric attendance, adherence to e-tendering and GeM in procurement, etc. The expenditure should be made strictly in accordance with GFR 2017.