Finance Deptt issues necessary instructions
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Feb 11: Expressing serious concern over submission of pension cases of Government employees without adhering to the relevant Rules and Regulations thus causing irregularities in matter of fixation of pension, the Finance Department of J&K Government has instructed to recover the excess paid amount from the DDOs in case of irregularities.
Besides, the Finance Department has also clarified on payment of House Rent Allowance to the Government employees and instructed to recover the HRA amount paid to those employees who are residing in any Government accommodation.
Separate circulars in this regard were issued today by Codes Division of the Finance Department, according to which gross irregularities have been noticed in fixation of pay due to extension of benefit of SRO-59 of 1990 beyond date of withdrawal of the said SRO in Works Department.
In the circular, the Principal Accountant General (A&E), J&K pointed out that gross irregularities have been noticed particularly in case of works departments, which include Jal Shakti, R&B, PDD, Irrigation and Flood Control, UEED and other offices.
“It has been observed that DDOs/Pension Sanctioning Authority are allowing the benefit of SRO-59 dated 06-02-1990 even beyond date of withdrawal of the SRO i.e. 15-01-1996 and in many cases at the fag end of the service, retrospectively, without observing the rules and regulations, resulting in extra burden on the Government exchequer,” read the circular.
The magnitude of irregularities in matter of fixation and regulation of pay of employees can be gauged from the fact that an amount of Rs 111.04 crores has been recovered during the period from April 2010 to March 2020.
“Accordingly, Administrative Secretaries of Works Departments are advised to direct DDOs under their direct control and strictly comply with the instructions related to grant of extending the benefit of SRO-59 dated 06-023-1990 before sending the pension cases to office of Principal Accountant General,” says the circular, adding that a certificate to the effect that the benefit of SRO-59, allowed to the employee, has been found in order as per rules and all condition for the grant of such benefit have been complied with, shall be provided by the DDO, along with the pension case.
While issuing such instructions, the circular under the signature of Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Financial Commissioner, Finance Department, has warned that in case of irregularities in pay, the DDO concerned shall be held personally responsible and excess paid amount shall be recovered from him.
According to a separate circular, the Finance Department has also sought pre-check of Service Books by the Accountant General before the preparation of pension cases of retiring Government employees and fixation of pay in service books.
In this regard, attention has been invited to the Circular Instructions, issued vide number A/25(2014)-1003 dated 24-07-2019, where under , all the Administrative Secretaries of all the departments were requested to direct the subordinate offices/DDOs to provide the details of employees having service of three years or more to the office of the Accountant General enabling him to prepare an action plan for checking the service books of the employees.
“However, it has been brought to the notice of Finance Department by Principal Accountant General (A&E), J&K that after commencement of functioning of the Pay Verification Section, Service books of the employees, who are retiring, are not being forwarded to the AG’s office with the result the purpose of opening of Pay Verification Section is not fulfilled,” explains the circular.
The Principal Accountant General J&K has further pointed out that the procedure laid down in Government order number 283-F dated 13-12-2011 is not being followed by any of the department, with the result the pension cases are sent to the office of the AG (A&E) without recording of Pay Verification Certificate and the office of AG is constrained to return back the pension cases of the Government employees without the requisite Pay Verification Certificate.
“The Administrative Secretaries of all the department are requested to issue express advisory to their HODs/DDOs to get the service books pre-checked for pay fixation and other entries recorded therein, from the office of Principal Accountant General (A&E). The service book shall be sent for pre-check to the office of Principal AG (A&E) at Srinagar or Jammu in respect of employees who are retiring after next three years or more from the date of issuance of these instructions,” read the circular, adding that the DDOs shall effect recovery of overpayments, if any, and rectify errors and omissions before forwarding the pension cases in future.
Besides, the Finance Department has issued another circular for instructions on payment of HRA and recovery of rent, in reference of O.M number A/1(92)-513 dated 25-06-1999.
The circular has clarified that no HRA is admissible to any such Government employee who is allotted Government accommodation or is in occupation of any Government accommodation under any pretext, unless of course, expressly provided by any order or rule. So far as move employees are concerned, their HRA is government by Government order number 1376-GAD of 1998 dated 23-10-1998.
The Finance Department circular makes it clear that in case any amount of HRA has been paid to such Government employee, who is residing in any Government accommodation, such amount shall be recovered from the concerned employee forthwith.
It has also been clarified that all Government employees, who have been provided Government accommodation by Estates or other departments, like R&B, Tourism Department, Forest etc, have to pay rent of that accommodation.
“All the Administrative Secretaries are accordingly requested to direct the DDOs under their control to ensure recovery of HRS wrongly paid to Government employees and deduct rent of the accommodation from the salary of the employees in monthly pay bills,” says the circular further instructing for deduction of the catering charges of the move employees who have been provided hotel accommodation with free catering facilities.
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