Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 28: To maintain uniformity in submitting various proposals for approval of the Cabinet, the State Government has directed all the Administrative Secretaries to observe the laid down instructions in this regard and ensure that the memorandum are sent to the General Administration Department at least seven days before the meeting.
As per the circular instructions in this regard, the memoranda must be presented with clarity, precession and their length should be restricted to about 7-8 pages at the maximum. Views of the departments like Finance, Planning and Law needs to be recorded clearly and preferably in a different font while A4 size white paper should be used for the purpose with computer typed using 14 size font of Microsoft Word.
Each para of the Memorandum should be numbered besides authentication of each page by the Administrative Secretary and date needs to be mentioned below his signature.
Further, number of pages in the memorandum, including annexure, should be mentioned in the covering letter while annexure/ appendices should also be neatly typed in the same font size as a memorandum, instead of mechanically attaching photocopies of various documents, which are not legible.
Instructing that minimum 30 copies of the memorandum should be submitted to the Cabinet Section of the General Administration Department, the circular further says that the memorandum should be enclosed with a brief statement containing gist of the reasons and the material on which decision of the Cabinet is sought. Besides, summery of the proposal on the Performa should be annexed with the memorandum to facilitate objective analysis and appreciation of the proposals by the Cabinet.
In the circular, issued today, the Government has admitted that while examining the proposals, it has been observed that the resolution part of the memorandum is variously not properly drafted and therefore such cases are returned to the department for recasting the draft resolutions resulting in delay, which is otherwise avoidable.
Further, the Cabinet memorandum are also submitted to the GAD one day or even on the same day of schedule Cabinet meeting, which gives little time to critically examine the proposals, obtain the approval of the Chief Minister for inclusion of memorandum in the agenda for the Cabinet meeting and circulation among the Council of Minister.
Rule 19 of the J&K Government Business Rules provides that after the agenda showing the case to be discussed in the Cabinet meeting has been approved by the Chief Minister, copies thereof- together with copies of such memoranda- shall be sent by the Secretary to the Cabinet to the Chief Minister and other ministers so as to reach them two clear days before the date of such meeting.