Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 13: The State Accountability Commission (SAC) has asked the Estates Department not to undertake renovation/repair/rebuilding/ restructuring of any official residential accommodation allotted to any Government functionary without obtaining a formal requisition in writing from the said allottee.
According to a statement issued by the Registrar SAC, the Commission passed these directions while considering huge amount of Rs 5 crore spent on official residences of Government functionaries including Ministers and officers last year as was reflected in CAG’s report.
“After hearing the Director Estates, it was noticed by the Commission that there was no norm or procedure adopted in undertaking renovations/ repairs/ restructuring of the official residences of the Ministers and Government Officers,” the statement said adding that in the absence of any norms or procedure, public funds were found to be spent in a “free for all manner” without following any codal formalities in this regard.
According to the SAC statement, the Commission comprising Justice B A Khan (Chairperson), Justice (Retd) J P Singh (Member) and Justice Bashir A Kirmani (Member) on consideration of the matter recommended to the Government that no renovation/ repairs/ rebuilding of official residential accommodations should be carried out without obtaining formal requisition in writing from the concerned allottee.
“The Commission directed that the execution of such works should follow expert verification/estimation and fulfilling of codal formalities depending on the need and feasibility of any such work requisitioned,” it said adding that the Commission has also asked the Government to issue consequential orders in this regard to streamline the expenditure incurred on maintenance/renovation/repair of official residences of the Ministers and Government officers.
“The Commission passed these directions to check the high spending of public funds by the Government departments,” the statement said.
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