Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 18: The State Government would be setting into motion tomorrow the exercise for the budget of next financial year of 2013-14 by starting series of meetings with different Departments to know their requirements and projections for the next budget, which would be presented in the Legislature in first week of March, 2013 .
Starting November 19, the round of meetings by the top officials of the Finance Ministry with all Departments of the State Government would conclude on December 13, official sources told the Excelsior.
Top brass of the Finance Ministry would be discussing demands, requirements and projections of 29 Departments with Head of Departments and other senior officers during November19-December 13, they said, adding that during some of the days, two Departments would be taken up for discussion. However, the major Departments would be discussed and debated for full day.
The State Government including Planning and Finance Departments have sounded the Planning Commission of India about completion of its Department wise meetings on December 13 after which it would seek a meeting with the PCI to debate its needs, projections and major demands for the budget of 2013-14.
A meeting of the top officials of Planning and Finance Departments was likely to take place any time after middle of December in which the State would not only project its requirements for next financial year but would also like to know the mind of the PCI on its projections.
Sources said the State Government officials would also explain the expenditure on current financial year’s annual plan and Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP). A detailed note would be prepared for submission to the PCI on expenditure for current financial year so far and requirements for 2013-14, they added.
The meetings of the Finance Department would start with Irrigation and Flood Control, Public Health Engineering and Public Works Departments on November 19 and conclude with Social Welfare on December 13.
Meetings with Tourism and Rural Development Departments were scheduled for November 22 and 23 while demands of Revenue and Relief Departments would be discussed by the Finance Ministry on November 29. Industries and Commerce and Housing and Urban Development Departments would be taken up in one day on December 1.
Power Development Department would figure on December 3.
The Home and Finance Departments would project their requirements on December 8 and 10 respectively while Health and Medical Education Department would be discussed on December 12.
Sources said the Finance Department would project its requirements for 2013-14 before the Planning Commission of India after ascertaining demands and needs of all Departments of the State. A separate presentation by the Departments would be made later before the Planning Commission.
The meeting would help the Finance Department in presentation of the budget during budget session of the Legislature in February-March this year as plan meetings continued up to June and, in some years, even up to July for finalisation of plan amount and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
During current financial year of 2012-13, the State had been awarded highest ever annual plan of Rs 7300 crore and Rs 700 crore under PMRP. The highest ever plan was sanctioned in favour of the State after it was able to spent of Rs 6700 crore worth plan during previous financial year of 2011-12.
Sources said the State was confident of around Rs 8000 crore worth annual plan for 2013-14 though it was yet to take a final decision on projecting its requirement. It could also seek extension of the PMRP for one more year as some works under it in the State sector were still under executing, they added.
The Planning Commission was expected to give its mind on annual plan and PMRP well ahead of next financial year’s budget so that the Government was in a position to prepare the budget by taking tentative figures into account in March next year.
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