Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar March 24 : Jammu and Kashmir administration has directed officers to promote financial discipline by avoiding unnecessary expenditure into functioning of departments in the Union Territory.
The Finance Department Jammu and Kashmir, according to sources, has asked administrative secretaries to adhere to its instructions for promotion of fiscal discipline and ensure a balanced pace of expenditure.
Government has issued instructions in view of the increasing liabilities of various departments as bureaucrats and ministers prior to Lieutenant Governor-led administration had spent crores of rupees “unnecessarily” over the years thus putting a huge burden on the state exchequer.
“The departmental heads have been instructed that only conferences, workshops and seminars shall be held which are ‘absolutely essential,” a senior official told news agency KINS.
“Holding of exhibitions, fairs, seminars, conferences outside Jammu and Kashmir is strongly discouraged except in the case of exhibition for tourism or handicraft promotion. Government has also put a ban on holding of meetings and conferences at private hotels instead government buildings and premises should be utilized for the same. Purchase of new vehicles to meet the operational requirement is permitted, but only against condemnation as a replacement measure,” the official quoted government directives to departments.
Travel expenditure according to these instructions should be regulated so as to ensure that each department remains within the allocated budget for the same.
Further, the officials have been directed to travel only by economy class regardless of entitlement within the country.
“The Finance Department has issued these instructions as most of the heads of departments have spent crores on travel within and outside the country. The functioning of several departments have been affected for want of funds due to unnecessary expenses by several bureaucrats and politicians,” a senior official of the Finance Department said.
The Finance Department has said that no fresh financial commitments will be made on items which are not provided for in the approved budget. (KINS)
