Causing losses to the exchequer through a disguised mode is to cause wilful mistakes to be done but on the higher side, in matters of fixation of pension by the concerned Drawing and Disbursing Authorities and submitting pension cases in this way to Finance Department. At the outset, should there be no mechanism to check and verify austerely how much under rules and regulations, salaries, wages and pensions are to be paid to the employees serving and having attained superannuation? We are sounding a caution in this respect as newer methods and ways to hoodwink the established system and procedure could operate somewhere or at many places in some departments. A regular audit of payment of salaries, allowances , perks and free facilities is a must to safeguard public interests as such payments are made from the public treasury.
We, however, welcome the decision of the Finance Department of Jammu and Kashmir in that it has decided to recover in person from those DDOs who were found having presented pension cases with inflated or wrongly calculated but on higher side in respect of pensions payable . Likewise, why should the employees get HRA while residing and enjoying Government accommodation. That is simply double benefit and amounts to cheating. Identified departments by Principal Accountant General where such irregularities have been found include Jal Shakti, Roads and Buildings, Irrigation and Flood Control, UEED and others. We also appreciate that at least, an amount of Rs.111 crore in matters of paying excess than is due under rules to employees, stand recovered during the last decade. We have apprehensions that it could be more should a strict audit be conducted in such fixation and regulation of pay to employees.
What is needed is a ready reckon(er) to be prepared and issued to all Departments with instructions to be guided by that which should be periodically altered in accordance with hike or reduction in allowances and other facilities paid in cash or credited in PF or other accounts of the employees. Agreed, it would be somewhat slightly a laborious task but decidedly for one time only but would pre-empt any chances in manipulating payments of salaries and allowances to the peril of Government exchequer.
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