No request for additional funds to be entertained after Aug 31
Number of employees frozen, no new creation of posts
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 26: Government has set September ending deadline for completion of various formalities for smooth transition to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh in pursuance of State Reorganization Act, 2019 passed by the Parliament early this month.
Moreover, the Government has made it clear that no request for additional funds from any department shall be entertained by the Finance Department and there shall be no new creation of posts after August 31, 2019.
As per the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh shall come into existence with effect from November 1, 2019.
As only two months have left for transition to new set-up, the Government has felt it imperative that accounts in respect of all the Government departments, autonomous bodies and Public Sector Undertakings with respect to grants, loans or any other financial assistance are fully settled and assets and liabilities are clearly established.
In order to ensure that all the liabilities are duly liquidated/accounted for before October 31, 2019, the Financial Commissioner, Finance Department Dr Arun Kumar Mehta has directed all the Government departments, autonomous bodies, Public Sector Undertakings, Corporations and Companies set up under various statutes to complete the process of preparing all the due statement of accounts by end of September 2019. They have further been directed to complete annual audits up to March 31, 2019 without any failure.
The Board of Directors of all these organizations have also been asked to meet immediately and ensure that all actions required towards transition in pursuance of State Reorganization Act, 2019 including preparation of due annual reports are completed before ending September 2019.
“The mechanism of internal supervision/audit should be immediately instituted and any pending administrative approval for any of the works currently under implementation must be duly accorded, if not already accorded”, read the order issued by the Financial Commissioner, Finance Department. Moreover, instructions have also been issued for giving approval by the Board of Directors in shortest possible time to the necessary changes in various Manuals/Rules.
“After November 1, 2019, General Financial Rules and Central Vigilance Commission guidelines will apply and this must be duly taken into account in the functioning of the Government organizations”, the Financial Commissioner said, adding “the number of employees must be frozen supported by necessary documents regarding creation of posts etc”.
Pointing towards number of proposals received from different departments regarding release of additional funds and creation of posts, the Financial Commissioner said, “in view of transition from State to Union Territories after October 31, 2019, there is an urgent need for settlement of accounts”.
Accordingly, he has made it clear that no request for additional funds shall be entertained by the Finance Department after August 31, 2019. “Any department requiring any additionality for the purpose of meeting salary dues of employees for the remaining period of the financial year must be communicated immediately and in no case after end of this month”, read the circular issued by the Financial Commissioner.
In view of the work that shall be required for ensuring smooth transition from State to Union Territories no proposals regarding creation of posts shall be entertained after August 31, 2019.
Meanwhile, Government has deputed groups of officers to visit the Union Territories for studying the Business Rules and other regulations being followed there. The decision in this regard has been taken on the recommendations of a committee headed by Advisor (S) to the Governor, which was constituted some days back for devising the modalities for functioning of proposed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Khurshid Ahmed Shah, Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Public Works Department and Subash C Chibber, Additional Secretary, General Administration Department have been deputed to Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar while as Rigzian Sampheal, Commissioner/ Secretary, Ladakh Affairs Department and Parvez Ahmad Raina, Additional Secretary, General Administration Department have been deputed to Delhi and Chandigarh Union Territories.
Talat Parvez Rohella, Secretary to Government, Higher Education Department and Charandeep Singh, Additional Secretary, General Administration Department have been asked to study Business Rules and other regulations of Puducherry Union Territory.
The groups of officers will submit their reports to the General Administration Department by September 3, 2019 to enable the Sub-Committees constituted by the Government to submit the draft Business Rules by September 10, 2019.
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