Rationalise non-developmental expenditure; protect capital expenditure: Finance Deptt

Jammu, Aug 16: J&K government has asked the controlling officers of all its administrative departments to emphasise upon further rationalization and optimization of non-developmental expenditure besides protecting capital expenditure, while making allocations and utilization of revenue budget.

The departments have also been directed to review the revenue receipts of the past three years and “vigorously pursue all receivables from public and private entities.”

It has been ordered that the electricity and water dues of all government premises should be cleared in time and the metering of such connections to all government offices and buildings should be ensured.

Instructions form part of the stipulations of the Finance department, while authorising the funds through BEAMS under revenue budget out of approved BE 2024-25 for the current financial year 2024-25, in supersession of Government Order No. 154-F of 2024 dated March 30, 2024.

Principal Secretary Finance, Santosh D Vaidya, however, has clarified that the authorisation of funds in respect of detailed heads viz., Leave Travel Concession (LTC); purchase of vehicles; furniture and furnishings; interest; purchase of power; cost price of food grains; snow clearance; UT share under revenue component and Disaster Response Fund (DRF) will be released, on case to case basis.

It has been stipulated that the utilization of funds will be subject to certain conditions. As per stipulations, 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 controlling officers have been asked to ensure further budgetary allocations strictly as per Demand for Grants in accordance with the Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation (No. 3) Act, 2024 No. 13 of 2024 dated: August 13, 2024. They will have to immediately release the funds to the line departments within a period of one week from the date of authorization of funds by the Finance Department. The expenditure should be made strictly in accordance with GFR 2017.

The departments have been directed to give priority to discharging any un-discharged liabilities or dues, if any, so that the same are cleared expeditiously.

“Economy should be ensured in budget utilization for OE, LTC, telephone, POL, travel, advertisements, publicity, hospitality and sumptuary etc activities. These expenditures should be undertaken with due caution and after verifying essentiality in each case,” Vaidya has stipulated, in a reiteration of adherence to fiscal prudence.

It has been emphasised that the conduct of camps, seminars and conferences should be done in government owned spaces. Purchase of new vehicles should be minimized and should be as per the government's car policy regarding entitlement. Existing deployment of vehicles should be evaluated thoroughly to ensure optimal use.

All departments have been directed to ensure uniform pace of expenditure during the financial year 2024-25.

“The overall ceiling of 30 percent expenditure shall be maintained during the last quarter of the financial year 2024-25. The expenditure during the last month of the financial year 2024-25 shall be restricted to 15 percent of the budget allocation,” Vaidya has stipulated, with the caution that no diversion will be made under any pretext unless expressly authorized by the Finance department.

The departments will have to ensure that the expenditure out of allotted funds is made in stipulated time-frame within the quarters for which the funds have been released.

Treasury Officers have been barred to entertain cases of parking of funds under 'Civil Deposits' unless sanctioned by the Finance Department. “No bills on account of rent shall be entertained in the Treasury without a Rent Assessment Order issued by the competent authority. The rent payable should not exceed the rent assessment,” it has been warned.