All Deptts asked to submit proposals by Sept 25
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Aug 31: For preparation of Budget Estimates of the next financial year and Revised Estimates of the current fiscal, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir today asked all the Administrative Departments and HoDs to start exercise in this regard and forward their recommendations to the Finance Department by September 25, 2020.
To achieve this target date, the budget preparation at the DDO and the HoD level shall be completed by September 15 and September 20, respectively and the Administrative Departments shall further carry out due scrutiny of estimates and forward their recommendations to the Finance Department not later than September 25, 2020.
An order in this regard was issued today by the Finance Department vide O.M No. FD-VII-Gen(18)2014-15, dated: 31-08-2020, according to which, all the Administrative Departments/HoDs have been asked to start Budget exercise for both Revenue and Capital Budget for the year 2021-22 in the right earnest to enable examination, compilation and consolidation of these estimates in the departments for onward submission of the same to Finance Department.
For preparation of Budget proposals by the departments, a detailed set of instructions has also been issued by the Finance Department in respect of Receipt Budget, Standardization of Detailed Heads, Salaries, Establishment Budget, Capital Budget, National Pension System, Wages, Purchase of vehicles, Loans and Advances, Security Related Expenditure, Relief Operations, Urban/ Rural Local Bodies, Budgetary Liabilities or Debt, Government Guarantees, etc.
Taking serious notice of huge variations in the actual expenditure of the preceding year as shown by the departments and the number as shown by the Accountant General (A&E) J&K in the Annual Finance Account of that year, the Finance Department has instructed that care should be taken to reflect the correct and duly reconciled expenditure in the prescribed forms.
As the Finance Department intends to compile Establishment budget of the Union Territory in final details, all the departments have been directed to prepare details of Establishment in respect of sanctioned posts and incorporate in the Pay Matrix/Levels as per SRO 193/2018. The staff strength as shown in budget proposals should strictly tally with the staff strength as shown in Establishment Budget and the variations, if any, should be properly explained, read the order.
“Revised Estimates and Budget Estimates for salaries shall be prepared for sanctioned posts only. No creation of posts shall be anticipated and budgeted for either in Revised Estimates or in Estimates for ensuing financial year while a separate statement showing provision for vacant posts will also be appended with the budget proposals,” added the order.
In respect of Security Related Expenditures, the Finance Department has made it clear that no item of expenditure not covered under latest SRE guidelines shall be adopted by it. “Estimates of air lifting charges are required to be consolidated by Civil Aviation Department separately for each category namely SR, normal (non-SER), Tourism etc, strictly in accordance with the new format devised by the Ministry of Home Affairs,” reads the order, adding that a projection of SRE should become available to Finance Department ahead of Budget proposal and not later than 10th October, 2020 so that the same are consolidated and forwarded to MHA in time for corporation in the Union Budget.
For the Capex Budget, ‘Performance Based Budgeting’ and ‘Zero Based Budgeting shall be introduced from the current financial year. The output and outcome of all the projects, whether new or on-going, shall be provided by the Departments in a separate Statement while submitting Capex Budget proposals to the Finance Department.
Maintaining that provision under the object head ‘Wages (outsourcing)’ will not be enhanced either under the Revised Estimates 2020-21 or Budget Estimates 2021-22, the Finance Department has asked the departments that the year-wise number of daily wagers/casual workers for the period 2015-16 to 2018-19 along with the full details about the source of paying wages to these workers should be appended with the budget proposals. The projection shall be made only for those confirmed DRWs or engaged by the competent authority as per the Government instructions issued from time to time, said the order.
For funds requirement in respect of Leave Encashment claims, the Finance Department has said that care should be taken to include all such employees who are presently on deputation outside their parent cadre and whose Leave Encashment dues are to be paid by their respective parent departments. Similarly, the Finance Department has advised all the departments to make projections under National Pension System more realistically after taking into account the provision for vacant posts.
As per the instructions for budget proposals for purchase of vehicles, such proposals should be supported by the number of vehicles available with the department, indicating detailed status of these vehicles and their deployment. However, at the same time, Finance Department has suggested all the departments to come up with proposals for hiring of vehicles instead of making purchases, being a measure of economic in expenditure.
For the cost sharing schemes, in which cost is shared by the Centre including 100 percent Central schemes, the departments have been asked to supply complete details of utilization of funds received in the previous year/ current year, those expected in the current year and the next year along with status of claims lodged for reimbursement against the expenditure already incurred so far.
The Finance Department has also directed that all the concerned departments shall make a detailed exercise to ascertain existing/outstanding guarantees with details so that the information obtained is reflected correctly in Budget documents.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
