Finance Deptt releases full Capital Budget to districts

STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: To give fillip to the developmental activities on the ground and ensure productive utilisation of resources, the Finance Department on Thursday released well in advance 50 per cent balance allocation of the Capex Budget to the districts for the current fiscal.
“Sanction is accorded to the utilisation of 100 per cent District Capex Budget 2018-19 allocations, including 50 per cent already authorised, in favour of all the District Development Commissioners (except Leh and Kargil) during current financial,” said an order issued by the Principal Secretary Finance Navin K Choudhary.
Navin said the government has ensured advance release of resources and now the need is to take the expenditure to the ground and ensure the benefits reach the people at the grassroots level.
According to the order the funds so released shall be utilised only for the purpose specified after observing all codal formalities/procedures as required under rules and shall not be available for further re-appropriation/diversion at any level and for any reason whatsoever.
“In accordance with the Appropriation Bill, District Development Commissioners shall ensure that all budget allocations have been maintained strictly and Budget announcements are accommodated,” it said and added that all the projects/schemes and infrastructure projects in particular, must be supported by technically vetted DPRs and must be prepared by the executing agencies in close consultation with user agency.
The order said that only such works shall be authorised for execution, as have prior administrative approval, technical sanction and appropriate financial backup and all cost revisions must be sanctioned/approved by the Competent Authority.
It said the District Development Commissioners shall immediately release the funds to the line departments/executing agencies within a time period of 10 days beyond which it shall be deemed to have been released. “Expenditure during the last quarter shall be restricted to not more than 30 per cent of the Budget Estimates,” it said adding that the latest authorisation shall not be utilised for the schemes/projects approved for funding through JKIDFC under the scheme “Languishing Projects” and these projects/schemes shall be excluded from Capex Budget henceforth.
“The authorisation shall not be available to meet expenses for engagement of casual workers, need based workers etc by any Department and there shall be no expenditure on Revenue or Revenue like items,” it said.