DDCs fail to submit ATR on reports forwarded by FD
Detailed instructions issued, response time fixed
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 4: Lacunas and financial indiscipline have been detected at various levels during the physical verification of several projects/works conducted through the field functionaries of the Economics and Statistics Directorate by the Finance Department. Moreover, it has come to the fore that District Development Commissioners (DDCs) and other officers have failed to take corrective measures and furnish Action Taken Report even after being provided with the findings.
The detailed and comprehensive exercise of physical verification of projects and works is being done on the orders of the Finance Department in order to ensure institutionalized system of transparency and accountability at all levels of governance. Moreover, this exercise is aimed at ensuring financial discipline and proper management of the projects.
“Finance Department has received a number of physical verification reports submitted by District Statistics and Evaluation Officers (DSEOs) through Regional Joint Directors of Economics and Statistics Directorate”, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “these reports have reflected many lacunas and financial indiscipline at various levels like absence of Administrative Approval, Tendering, Technical Sanction and non-adherence to the timelines”.
Accordingly, all these reports were forwarded to the concerned District Development Commissioners (DDCs) by the Finance Department for taking corrective measures in a time bound manner. Astonishingly, till date no Action Taken Report (ATR) has been received from the DDCs, sources disclosed, adding “by adopting dilly-dallying approach in taking corrective measures the DDCs have created obstacles in achieving the objectives behind the initiative of physical verification of projects/works”.
Taking serious note of this, the Financial Commissioner Finance Department Dr Arun Kumar Mehta has issued detailed instructions to all the concerned officers for strict compliance/adherence in a time bound manner.
The Finance Department, which is the Nodal Department, will overall coordinate physical verifications through Director DED-I in respect of district level projects and Director DED-II for UT level projects/works. While Regional Joint Director of Economics and Statistics will be incharge of respective divisions, the District Statistics and Evaluation Officer will be overall incharge of the district under the supervision of concerned District Development Commissioner.
The Director General Economics and Statistics Department has been asked to strengthen the DSEO by preparing a module in collaboration with NIC for filing of online verification reports in a structured and standardized format for analyzing/sorting and creating data bank.
Moreover, Director Planning and Director Finance in the respective administrative departments will inspect randomly the projects under their administrative control and furnish the verification reports to the Finance Department. “The administrative department/DDCs will furnish the list of ongoing/new projects under State/District Capex at the beginning of the financial year to Regional Joint Directors of Economics and Statistics and DSEOs”, the Financial Commissioner Finance Department said.
The DSEOs will make a calendar of verification of 100% projects/works month-wise and share it with all the stakeholders. All the DDCs and HoDs have been asked to ensure cooperation of all the concerned field officers/officials with the verification team headed by the concerned DSEO. The executing agencies have been asked to provide all the details/documents as required for physical verification.
“The DSEO will issue a verification/satisfactory certificate to executing agency if verification report of the work is satisfactory. However, if verification report of the work is unsatisfactory then further payments will be linked to corrective action being taken by the concerned executing agencies”, the Financial Commissioner Finance said, adding “DDCs will provide all logistic support to the inspecting team and ensure timely corrective measures”.
All the DDCs and concerned HoDs have been explicitly told to furnish Action Taken Report in case of any financial indiscipline communicated to them within seven days without fail.
As per the response time fixed by the Finance Department, the DSEO will issue a verification certificate within 15 days after physical verification if the work is found satisfactory or submit a comprehensive report to the authorities indicating lacunas/shortfalls and propose action if required.
“The response time at every level will be recorded in the Finance Department for ensuring adherence to the timelines and the major lacunas, if any, will be brought to the notice of Finance Department at the Administrative Secretaries level”, read the instructions, the copies of which have been forwarded to all the Financial Commissioners, Administrative Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners, DDCs and HoDs.
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