Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 23: Governor NN Vohra today assigned powers of Ministers to the Advisors and allocated Departments to them. He also granted powers of Ministers to some of the Administrative Secretaries and listed the powers to be exercised by them.
Advisor BB Vyas has been allocated Planning and Development, Finance, Law, GAD, Housing & Urban Development, ARI & Trainings, Rural Development, Ladakh Affairs, Estates, Civil Aviation, PWD, PDD, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Agriculture, Horticulture, Floriculture, Industries & Commerce, Animal & Sheep Husbandry and Cooperatives.
Advisor K Vijay Kumar will hold the Departments including Home, Youth Services & Sports, Revenue, Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction, Tribal Affairs, Forests, Hospitality & Protocol, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Information, Labour & Employment, School Education, Higher Education, Technical Education, Health & Medical Education, Science & Technology, Tourism, Culture, Information Technology and Social Welfare.
“The powers delegated to the Administrative Secretaries will continue to be exercised by them. However, the Advisors will identify the items of work and matters, which will be put to them for decision, approval or information and notify them through Standing Orders,” an official order said issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) said.
The powers assigned to the Chief Secretary included cases related to accord of administrative approval to all kinds of works/projects under plan/non-plan costing over Rs. 7.50 crore up to Rs. 20.00 crore with the concurrence of Planning and Finance Departments, funds authorization in cases under Centrally Sponsored Schemes/Central Mega Flagship Schemes/TFC grants/Plan Scheme having financial implication above Rs. 50 crore in each case and cases where administrative and financial powers have been delegated in various codes/manuals in favour of all departments/ Administrative Departments/ specified departments, the same will be exercised by the concerned Administrative Secretaries with the approval of the Chief Secretary.
The cases where administrative and financial powers have been delegated in various codes/manuals, but competent authority(s) have not been specified, the same will be exercised by the Chief Secretary with prior concurrence of Finance Department, the Government order said.
He will have the powers of transfers and postings/adjustments of officers up to the level of Time Scale of KAS and equivalent.
The Chief Secretary will have the power for relaxation in age/qualification for the regularization of daily rated workers and condon breaks in qualifying service for regularization in accordance with the provisions of SRO 64 of 1994 within the numbers registered with Finance Department.
The financial powers accorded to the Administrative Secretaries included granting administrative approval in respect of individual works costing up to Rs. 7.50 crore, release of funds (scheme/object wise) authorized by Finance Department and Planning, Development & Monitoring Department in favour of the Departments under their administrative control, sanctioning of advance drawls up to Rs. 25 lakh with the concurrence of the FA&CAO, delegation of DDO Powers in respect of officers of the departments under their administrative control with the concurrence of the FA&CAO, all advance drawl cases beyond an amount of Rs. 25 lakh with the prior concurrence of the Finance Department and issuance of Government Guarantees with the concurrence of the Finance Department.
The powers extended to the Administrative Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD) included make transfers/postings/adjustments of Under Secretaries, Administrative Officers of J&K Administrative Officers (Gazetted) Service and Private Secretaries and equivalent Level Officers, approve officiating promotion of eligible Under Secretaries, Administrative Officers and Private Secretaries for a period not exceeding six months pending regularization with the concurrence of PSC, sanction deputation of officers up to the level of Special Secretaries or equivalent for Government business/training outside the State but within the country, release revenue and capital component of funds in favour of subordinate offices within the approved budgetary provisions duly authorized by the Finance and Planning, Development & Monitoring Departments, powers to make appointments on non-gazetted posts on the recommendations of J&K Services Selection Board, powers to make compassionate appointments covered under SRO-43, inter-departmental transfers/deputation of Non-Gazetted Government /PSU Employees.
The powers given to the Administrative Secretary, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department including authorization for release of additionalities up to Rs 25 lakh in favour of various Departments/DDCs under District Plans (only for ongoing schemes), authorization for release of additionalities up to Rs 50 lakh in respect of State Plan, re-appropriation of funds from one approved scheme to another within a sector, approval of Annual Plans after formal adoption and re-appropriation of funds for ongoing schemes under BADP.
The powers of Administrative Secretary, Finance Department included to contract all open market borrowings (OMBs) as approved in the ‘Scheme of Financing for Annual Plan 2018-19’, provide for temporary liquidity mismatch by taking the OD route with J&K Bank (under RBI’s Ways and Means facility), within the permissible limit, raise institutional finance as per the approved scheme of financing for Annual Plan 2018-19 as required from time to time during course of the year, authorize funds under Centrally Sponsored Schemes/Central Mega Flagship Schemes/TFC grants/Plan up to a monetary limit of Rs. 50 crore in each case and revalidation of such funds authorized previously, without any monetary limit.
He will deal with interpretation/opinion cases received from departments and cases requiring relaxation of rules, sanction additionalities under all non-plan object heads of expenditure except under SRE, CRF, ‘Maintenance’, ‘Wages’, ‘Outsourcing of Upkeep’ and other purpose specific provisions and up to 10% of budgeted provisions for justified reasons as also to make re-appropriations of non-plan funds.
The powers of Administrative Secretary, Revenue Department were listed as assignment of charge of Administrator Auquaf to various officers of the State Government in respect of various Tehsil Auquaf Committees, with the approval of the Chief Secretary and issues of notifications under Land Acquisition Act.
The powers of Administrative Secretary, Higher Education Department included release of Grant-in-Aid to the Universities/Colleges and other institutions strictly in accordance with the authorization of Planning /Finance Department, grant NOC for establishment of private College/Institution of Higher/Technical Education or addition of courses in accordance with the policy and order release of National Service Scheme grants to the Universities.
The Administrative Secretary, Labour and Employment Department has been given the powers for sanction of medical reimbursement claims under ESI scheme up to an amount of Rs. 2 lakh in each case.
The powers assigned to Administrative Secretary, Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs are issuance of license of Retail Fair Price Shop/Retail Kerosene oil license under the approved policy, all transportation cases including carriage of food grains in areas not finalized by HODs, be decided by the Administrative Secretary so that the distribution of ration is not discontinued due to non-formalization of contracts with the transporters.
“This measure will not replace the normal tendering process of engagement of transport through tendering process but only in cases of emergencies to make stop-gap arrangements, the decision may be taken by Administrative Secretary on the recommendations of the concerned HODs strictly as a stop-gap arrangement,” the Government order said.
The powers extended to Administrative Secretary, School Education Department included all issues of implementation of SSA, RMSA and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes, all issues of Mid-Day Meal Scheme for School going children up to the level of 8th Standard, all issues of total literacy campaign and recognition of Private Schools as per the approved norms.
The powers assigned to Administrative Secretary, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs included filing of appeals and LPAs, sanction of counsel fee in favour of Advocate-on-Record in the Supreme Court and Advocate General of the State for appearance before the Supreme Court, sanction all kinds of counsel fee in the cases before the High Court, Subordinate Courts and in the acquittal cases.
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