Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Aug 14: The Health & Medical Education (H&ME) Department, taking a significant step towards bolstering healthcare infrastructure in J&K, has released over Rs 310 crores for the recently established Government Medical Colleges (GMC) in Udhampur and Handwara. The funding has come under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Establishment of New Medical Colleges attached with District/Referral Hospitals.”
A directive has been issued by the department in this regard, authorizing the release of Rs 310 crore, 70 lakh, and 59 thousand, which has been allocated in favor of the Director of Finance, H&ME Department. The allocation represents the unspent balance under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme, and it is intended for further allocation at the disposal of the Principal of the GMCs in Handwara and Udhampur.
The funds, which were part of the current financial year’s budget for 2023-24, have been earmarked for the construction of these new medical colleges. The detailed breakdown shows that GMC Handwara has been allocated Rs 172.46 crore, while GMC Udhampur is set to receive Rs 137.60 crore.
The release of funds comes with several stipulations outlined by the H&ME Department. One crucial condition is that the expenditure must strictly adhere to the classification under which the funds have been authorized by the Finance Department. In line with this, Treasury Officers have been explicitly instructed not to entertain bills that lack complete classification as per the Finance Department’s authorization.
Additionally, the Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) has been tasked with completing all codal formalities before presenting bills at the Treasury. The heads of GMC Handwara and Udhampur have been mandated to provide a status report on the scheme’s physical and financial progress for the fiscal year. Moreover, a Utilization Certificate (UC) of the funds has also been sought to be submitted to the H&ME Department, with a deadline set for 31st March 2024.
Furthermore, the release of funds emphasizes that all necessary sanctions, approvals, and clearances must be in place before drawing money from the treasury. The H&ME Department has further made it clear that the utilization of funds should strictly follow the codal procedure and the guidelines of the Government of India.
Importantly, H&ME noted that the expenditure should align with the scheme’s guidelines and the conditions specified in the sanction letter from the concerned ministry of the Government of India, underlining that the funds allocated for this purpose are not available for re-appropriation or diversion at any level, ensuring that they are used exclusively for their intended purpose.
To ensure smooth financial management, H&ME has made it mandatory that the funds be credited to the SNA (State Nodal Agency) account of the scheme. This is a crucial requirement, as H&ME stated that the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) will not accept treasury data on Non-SNA releases, effective from 1st December 2022.
Lastly, the disbursement of bills, it has been stated, is planned in trenches, with each trench amounting to Rs. 50.00 Crore, totalling five trenches. H&ME noted that the last instalment of Rs. 60.075955 Crore is designated for encashment at the Treasury, following the advice of the Finance Department.
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