Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has found various aspects whereby violations in respect of Security Related Expenditure (SRE) have taken place. Not only that, a written memo has been sent by the MHA for taking “corrective measures” and asked the Home Department and the JK Police to remain cautious in future.
Whether the issue was concerning procuring materials under the SRE scheme or related issues, formalities laid down in the Financial Code have not been observed at all. How can any advance payment be made to any institution and reimbursement claimed without ascertaining and verifying the end use as it ran entirely against the accounting and procedural norms. It has been found here also as Jammu and Kashmir Police Headquarters has made advance payments to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and claimed reimbursement but without ascertaining the purpose on which it was spent. A non plan type of scheme, Security Related Expenditure is kept at the disposal of Jammu and Kashmir and other terror infested states for helping tide over and augment their respective resources in fighting terrorism and contain militancy and maintaining law and order besides on identified issues. If exit routes and weak points are found out to resort to “non – transparent ” and fishy indulgence in such a sensitive Expenditure arrangement meant exclusively for such vital and sensitive purpose , it becomes a serious issue and definitely needs high monitoring and strict periodic audits.
Not to speak of the need to promptly respond to the internal verification conducted by the Union Ministry which found violations and breach of financial code having been committed , specific instances of such departure from prescribed practices needed to be inquired into, in order to pin point the accountability as a future deterrent. Guidelines set by Standing Committee in respect of the SRE needed to be scrupulously followed . Separate books of accounts, cash books etc must be properly maintained and these books regularly tallied inter-se and periodically, say on monthly basis, balanced . Does it needed to be reiterated to those who are authorised to spend from the SRE that all vouchers and receipts in original, needed to be produced to auditors and other concerned officers to ascertain and verify the expenditures having been incurred as per rules, as in this area too , discrepancies and shortcomings were observed.
The audit report in respect of how various instances of virtually misusing this Expenditure by the UT Home Department along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police has been shared by the MHA with the UT Government of Jammu and Kashmir, primarily for streamlining and making expenditures in most transparent forms. Those items which needed to be procured through Government e- Market portal and not otherwise should be made mandatory and never any optional. Necessary instructions have now been issued by the Financial Commissioner (Finance) to the Home Department, JK Police Headquarters and associated departments to follow rules and procedures in respect of SRE and let us see and assess how meticulously these instructions are followed and complied with.
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