Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 18: In a significant decision aimed at streamlining the fiscal management in the Estates Department, the State Government today notified a new policy for maintenance, repairs, renovation, furnishing of Estates houses allotted to Ministers and senior officers in Jammu and Srinagar.
As per an order issued in this regard, the Government has fixed the upper limit of expenditure for maintenance of such houses and it has been made mandatory for every allottee to submit a written requisition whenever there is the need for new works, renovation, upgradation and repairs to be taken up. This will apply to the demand for furniture, furnishing items as well.
After a formal requisition is received by the Estates Department from the allottee, it shall be placed before a Technical Committee comprising Executive Engineer of the concerned division, Assistant Executive Engineer of the concerned division, Technical Officer to Executive Engineer concerned and Junior Engineer concerned for preparation of estimates.
The Technical Committee shall submit the estimates and its recommendations to a Feasibility Committee, comprising Director Estates, Chief Accounts Officer, Estates Department, Deputy Director Estates of the concerned divisions and Deputy Director Planning Estates Department.
The Feasibility Committee shall conduct on spot visit, if required, and submit its recommendations within one week to the competent authority for a decision with regard to the execution of the work.
As per the order the upper limit of expenditure for new works, renovation, upgradation, repairs to be taken up during six years per house per city include Rs 18 lakh for Ministerial Bungalow of Cabinet Minister and equivalent, Rs 15 lakh for Ministerial Bungalow of Minister of State and equivalent, Rs 15 lakh for Chief Secretary’s house, Rs 12 lakh for houses allotted to Financial Commissioners and equivalent rank, Rs 10 lakh for houses allotted to Principal Secretaries, Commissioner/ Secretaries and equivalent rank and Rs 5 lakh for houses allotted to Secretaries, HoDs and equivalent.
Similarly, the upper limit of expenditure on maintenance, repairs including furniture and furnishing per year per city per house includes Rs 2 lakh for Ministerial Bungalow of Cabinet Minister and equivalent, Rs 1.50 lakh for Ministerial Bungalow of Minister of State and equivalent, Rs 1.50 lakh for Chief Secretary’s house, Rs 1.00 lakh for houses allotted to Financial Commissioners and equivalent rank, Rs 75000 for houses allotted to Principal Secretaries, Commissioner/ Secretaries and equivalent rank and Rs 50000 for houses allotted to Secretaries, HoDs and equivalent.
As per the order, the permissible amount for new works, renovation, upgradation shall be strictly restricted to the budgetary provision. Wherever the expenditure limit has already been utilized or has been exceeded, no new work, upgradation, renovation, repair will be taken up during that particular financial year. “Wherever the requirement demands expenditure beyond the prescribed ceiling/budgetary provision, same shall be done after obtaining the approval from the Minister Incharge Estates,” it said.
Pertinently, the State Accountability Commission in its order 08/03/2017 had asked the Estates Department to frame a clear cut policy on the expenditure on construction, upgradation, renovation and repairs of houses.
There is already a policy in vogue in the Estates Department under which 25% funds are to be utilized under renovation/ maintenance for non-gazetted and other employees. Similarly, funds to the tune of 33% under furniture, furnishings are to be utilized for non-gazetted employees.
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