Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 12: Comm-itted to accomplish the process of budget preparation for next financial year by December 20, 2015, the Government is going to begin discussions with all the departments on Budget Proposals from October 15. Moreover, all the Administra-tive Secretaries, Heads of the Departments and District Development Commissioners have been directed to furnish Action Taken Reports (ATRs) on the announcements made in the previous Budget.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Finance Department has sent a communiqué to all the Principal Secretaries, Commissioner Secretaries and Secretaries of all the departments mentioning that discussions on Budget Proposals will start from October 15, 2015 onwards in order to ensure that entire process of budget preparation for 2016-17 Financial Year is completed by December 20.
“The Administrative Departments shall furnish Budget Proposals to Finance Department without any further delay and also make all necessary preparations for the conduct of meaningful discussions”, reads the communication of Finance Department No.FD-VII-Gen(18). These discussions involving 26 departments of the State Government would conclude on October 29.
According to the communication, the discussion on proposals of the Jammu based Heads of the Departments, Deputy Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers of Leh and Kargil would be held through video-conferencing in order to avoid their travelling to Summer Capital, which otherwise hampers functioning of such departments and administrative units. However, the Administrative Secretaries and the Kashmir based Heads of the Departments have been explicitly conveyed for participation in the discussions without any excuse.
They have also been asked not to ask for re-scheduling their budget meeting as the same would create hurdles in meeting the time-line of December 20 for completion of budget related exercise, sources said while disclosing that Planning and Development Department has been asked to furnish Capex Revised Estimates 2015-16 and Budget Estimates 2016-17 against individual Demands for Grants, Sector-Wise/Major Head-Wise instead of keeping lump sum provisions.
In order to take holistic view of the implementation of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes and ensure judicious use of the 14th Finance Commission Award, the Finance Department would held discussion on funds authorized under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes/14th Finance Commission Award during the current financial year so far and likely to be authorized during remaining part of current financial year and during 2016-17 financial year.
In a significant move, the Finance Department has sought Action Taken Reports on the Budget Announcements as well as Budget Cabinet Decisions besides complete details on Establishment Budget much ahead of the scheduled date of discussions so that necessary directions are passed to the departments, sources informed.
It is pertinent to mention here that during the past several years the exercise for preparation of budget for next financial year was used to begin in the month of November but this year the exercise has been pre-poned as a part of new initiative of the present dispensation.
Moreover, the new initiative is in line with the Government Order No.2380 of 1976 dated October 14, 1976, which laid down scheme of decentralized planning under Single Line Administration. By way of this order, the Government had fixed timeline for completion of Budget process in December.
Pre-poning exercise for preparation of budget for 2016-17 financial year would give sufficient time to the Government to hold discussions at various levels including different sections of the society. According to the sources, the Finance Department would start discussions with cross sections of the society including Chambers of Commerce and Industries and other important business and trade bodies following opening of Darbar in Jammu next month.
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