PANAJI: In order to put a limit on the government expenditure, the state finance department has asked all departments to take timely steps to avoid rush of expenditure at the end of the financial year.
A recent circular issued by Sushama Kamat, the Under Secretary, finance (expenditure) department, has also fixed a schedule for the current year so as to avoid rush of expenditure and submission of bills to the directorate of accounts at the closing stage of the financial year 2016-17.
According to the circular, all heads of the departments/offices have been directed to submit bills pertaining to travelling allowances, medical reimbursement and arrears claims by February 17, whereas March 6 has been fixed for submitting all other bills. It has also stated that the salary bill of March 2017 must be submitted by March 15. Further, the circular has also noted that the office of the director of accounts will close counter on March 6, 2017, at 5 pm and, therefore, no bills will be received by the office unless specifically allowed by the department of finance (expenditure).
The circular also states that in unavoidable cases where a bill cannot be submitted for bona fide reasons and if these claims are of an urgent nature, then the concerned head of department will have to explain in detail, the reasons why the bill could not be referred within the prescribed time schedule and also why the bill cannot be kept on hold for settlement till the next financial year 2017-18 and submit the same for approval of finance/chief minister, through the department of finance (expenditure).
It further reads that in the event an approval from the department of finance is obtained, the bill should be submitted to the directorate of accounts with a D.O. letter addressed to the director of accounts, along with a copy of the noting containing the approval of department of finance for admission of the bill and all such claims will be admitted up to March 15, 2017, and thereafter no bills will be entertained. The circular asks the departments to adhere to these instructions scrupulously.
