MARGAO
Finance department’s order aimed at tightening screws on expenditure under the revenue budget head to a bare minimum has come into effect, but government officials see red in the latest Finance department’s order mandating various department officials to knock the doors of the Ministers for sanction of various individual works costing up to Rs 20 lakh.
Officials of various departments, including the Power department, maintained that the order issued by Under Secretary, Finance Sushama D Kamat mandates the concerned departments to approach the Minister of the Administrative department for prior approval before sanctioning works costing Rs 20 lakh under the revenue budget head.
A power official told The Goan that the order has brought under its ambit the operation and maintenance of sub-stations, transmissions and distribution networks, running & maintenance of meter and relay testing laboratories/workshops, transformer repairs, pole manufacturing unit. “How are we supposed to carry out repairs and maintenance work in times of emergencies. Are we supposed to knock the doors of the Ministers for financial approval for an amount up to Rs 20 lakh. Sometimes, we have to take decisions to prepare estimates to procure insulators, poles, etc without any delay when people demand immediate restoration of power,” informed a power official.
The Finance department’s order has listed around 16 types of operation and maintenance works and other types of minor work, which shall be taken up under the Revenue Budget head only upon the approval of the Ministers. This implies that all previous instructions in respect of operation and maintenance work and other types of minor works under the revenue account, besides instructions relating to the erstwhile “non-plan works vide order dated May 23, 2012 stands superseded.
The latest order is categorical in staying that works beyond the Rs 20 lakh limit shall be essentially taken up under the capital sector under the Capital budget head. The order has literally warned the heads of departments and officers that artificial splitting of estimates below the limit of Rs 20 lakh has been strictly prohibited and the heads of departments concerned shall be solely responsible for the same.
Further, the order states that if any works of the nature described in the list of 16 notified works are to be taken up exceeding the cost limit of Rs 20 lakh under the Revenue budget head, that prior approval of the Finance (expenditure) department, shall invariably be obtained.
The order has asked the heads of departments to maintain proper records and a strict watch to control
the expenditure under the Revenue budget head to bare minimum.
