Accord of administrative approval, award of contracts
*Several conditions fixed to check misuse, adherence to rules
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 8: Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha has delegated his financial powers vis-a-vis accord of administrative approval, technical sanctions and award of contracts etc to the officers of the Forest Department. However, several conditions have been fixed so as to check the misuse of the same at any level in the department and to ensure strict adherence to the General Financial and other Rules.
The financial powers have been delegated by the Lieutenant Governor in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 67 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019. These powers pertain to accord of administrative approval, technical sanctions, award of contracts, sanction for sale of minor forest produce and crude resin, sanction of rewards and power to issue raw drugs/minor forest produce, read the notification issued by Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Financial Commissioner Finance Department.
Now, the Conservator of Forests can accord administrative approval up to Rs 10 lakh while as Divisional Forest Officer can given approval up to Rs one lakh. However, they will exercise this power subject to the condition that work has been approved in Capex/Revenue component of budget and funds are available.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest has been delegated full powers for according technical sanction to estimate for construction and allied purpose while as Chief Conservator of Forest will exercise powers up to Rs 1 crore as far as accord of technical sanction is concerned. Similarly, Conservator of Forest will exercise powers up to Rs 40 lakh and the Divisional Forest Officer up to Rs 3 lakh.
However, it has been made clear that the amount technically sanctioned should not exceed the amount administratively approved by the competent authority.
Moreover, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests can grant contracts up to Rs 20 crore while as Chief Conservator of Forest has been delegated powers up to Rs 7 crore. The Conservator of Forest and Divisional Forest Officer can exercise the powers up to Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 10 lakh respectively.
They will exercise these powers only when administrative approval has been accorded and 100% funds accorded/committed, read the notification of the Finance Department.
To sanction sale of crude resin, the Forest Department has been delegated full powers while as Principal Chief Conservator of Forest can exercise powers up to Rs 50 lakh and Chief Conservator of Forest up to Rs 30 lakh. Likewise, the Conservator of Forest and Divisional Forest Officer will be in a position to exercise powers up to Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 lakh respectively.
“All these powers will be exercised only when the sale is put through tenders/auction in terms of General Financial Rules 2017. Moreover, only the highest offer should be accepted and in any case the same should not be below the reserve rate approved by the department”, the Financial Commissioner Finance Department said.
Similarly conditions have also been fixed for sanctioning the sale of minor forest produce for which Forest Department will exercise full powers and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest up to Rs 50 lakh. Likewise, Chief Conservator of Forest, Conservator of Forest and Divisional Forest Officer will exercise powers up to Rs 30 lakh, Rs 10 lakh and Rs one lakh respectively.
As per the notification, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest can accord sanction of rewards up to Rs 5000 in each case while he can exercise full powers to issue raw drugs and minor forest products to any individual or institute of repute for research.
However, he will have to strictly adhere to the conditions laid down in Reward Rules of the Forest Law Manual and subject to the results of experiment or research are supplied to him.
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