Mudassir Kuloo
By Mudassir Kuloo
Srinagar, March 22: In a move for timely utilization of funds, officials have been warned of action if funds released for development works were allowed to lapse.
Funds, amounting to crores of rupees, get lapsed annually in the state due to non-utilisation of funds in a scheduled time.
Now the departmental heads have been directed for timely utilisation of funds and asked to fix the responsibility if funds were allowed to lapse.
“Directions have been passed to departments to ensure timely utilisation of funds as less developmental works take place in last quarter of the year due to non-utilization of funds and many remain unutilised,” an official of the Finance Department said.
The Rural Development Department has cautioned the officials against slackness and urged them to use the funds released early.
The RDD has directed assistant commissioners development, block development officers that the works authorised taken up during 2017-2018 and for which the funds stand released are lapsable shall be utilised by March 31.
“The executing agencies are directed that all these works are both physically and financially completed in all aspects without creating any liability and spilling over the same for the next financial year as no funds shall be provided during next financial year 2018-2019 for any specified over work,” a circular said, issued by the RDD Kashmir to officials last week.
“Any laxity in this behalf shall be personal responsibility of the concerned implementing agency, which shall be noted forthwith for strict compliance,” it reads.
The departments have also been told that developmental works should be started with proper approval from Planning and Finance Department to know the source of funds.
“The concerned officials will be held responsible if these works get affected for want of funding,” an official of the General Administration Department said.
The official said that bureaucrats have been told to make proper guidance to legislators about the source of funds for developmental works.
The departments have also been directed to submit monthly progress report. Government has failed to evaluate performance of their departments on the basis of timeline completion of targets, outcomes of the schemes, priorities fixed, quality of work done, and status of benefits of projects.
This is because departments are not submitting their performance report to the government.
“Most of the officials are hiding the performance details about their departments,” the official added.
