`Some Departments not following guidelines’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 14: The Finance Department today directed the Administrative Departments to make budget projections under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes as separate scheme for Central and Union Territory (UT) matching share under proper classification in consultations with the Director Finance/FA&CAO of the Department.
“The projections shall be at par with Central share expected from the Government,” an order issued by the Director Finance (Budget), Finance Department said today.
It said if an information about estimates of Central share doesn’t become available, the budget figures approved by the Steering Committee in the Action Plan should be projected both under Central share as well as UT matching share.
“Budget for scheme announced to be closed/discontinued shouldn’t be projected,” the order read.
It further said that the Departments while projecting the budget estimated should specifically mention the current year projection of the Central and the UT matching share of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes besides details of unspent Central and UT share, if any.
Referring to the Union Ministry of Finance order, the Finance Department said the Centre provides opening of separate State Nodal Accounts (SNAs) for each Centrally Sponsored Scheme for receipt and payment of both the Central and UT matching share of the funds.
Additionally, it said, it has been asked to provide separate budget lines for each Central Sponsored Scheme under both Centre as well as UT matching share, Principles of the public expenditure also demands to capture all likely receipts and expenditures in the annual budget of the UT.
“It has been observed that this job is not being followed in true spirit at the time of submission of the demands by the respective Administrative departments. The Central share is being projected without any actual corresponding UT matching share. This later creats problem for both the Finance Department as well as the Administrative Departments for arranging funds as per actual requirement,” the Finance Department order pointed out.
Moreover, the order read, the budget for both Central as well as Jammu and Kashmir share will now be separately provided in order to get instalment of the Central share in time from the Government of India.
The order said during financial year 2021-22, the State Nodal Accounts (SNAs) of almost all Centrally Sponsored Schemes have been created by all the Departments. However, many Departments again didn’t make actual projection of Central and UT matching share under Balance Expenditure for 2022-23.
It observed that required details are not being provided by the Departments at the time of compilation and submission of Centrally Sponsored Schemes’ Budget Estimates to the Finance Department.
“This is also a fact that the Departments are not aware, in advance, regarding the likely Central share they will receive during a particular financial year, yet they are under obligation to formulate annual action plan of each Centrally Sponsored Scheme and have the same approved by their duly constituted Empowered Steering Committees.
“The Departments can project amount of annual action plan both under Central and matching UT share based on sharing pattern of the scheme which will enable the Finance Department to release budgetary estimates to the Department under a well regulated system and will also help to get successive instalments from the Government of India,” the order said.
It added that in case there is no provision of corresponding matching and UT matching share of Centrally Sponsored Schemes in budget estimates, the successive instalments from the Government of India will get affected.
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