Maharashtra Chief Secy blasts deptts over missing scheme deadlines

* Asks departments to furnish proposals to Planning Department well in advance for better financial discipline
Staff Reporter
Rushing in with proposals to utilise the available allocation towards the end of a financial year, is a regular feature of the functioning of various Government departments. Taking serious cognisance of this years-old ‘indiscipline’, the State Chief Secretary J S Saharia has asked the departments to effect ‘paradigm shift’ in this style of functioning.
Saharia has blasted the departments for not preparing and submitting the proposals in time, and delayed start of processes like tendering, procurement, execution of works etc. Pointing out specifically the adverse impact on implementation of various schemes, Chief Secretary has asked the departments to mend ways. Henceforth, he has asked the departments to prepare and submit proposals for various schemes or procurements to Planning Department well in advance.
For instance, if a particular scheme or its component is to be implemented in the financial year 2015-16, its proposal will have to be submitted to Planning Department before the month of July in the financial year 2014-15.
In a strongly worded communication to all departments, on behalf of Planning Department, Saharia has pointed out that most of the plan and non-plan allocation is utilised towards the end of a financial year and this affects implementation of various schemes. One of the main reasons identified at the Government level for this is that the departments approve various schemes after half of the financial year is over. As a result, the tender process and work orders are issued late and works are started towards the end of financial year.
In case of schemes of individual benefits, selection process for beneficiaries starts four to five months after the start of financial year, and it takes December or January to start extending benefits to selected persons.
Besides, the heads for which plan or non-plan allocation is made, are finalised once the financial allocation is released. As a result, subsequent processes like finalising quantity of items to be procured, inviting tenders for the same, finalising tender, issuing supply order etc take January or February. Many times, proposals are submitted after February 15, and then it becomes difficult to utilise the allocation before the end of financial year on March 31.
“All this results in hasty execution of various schemes or hasty procurement of goods to meet the deadline of financial year, and most of the times, quality becomes the casualty. Besides, supply of various goods sought in one financial year, starts in the next financial year. Meanwhile, as allocation has been made available, it remains unutilised,” Saharia stated in the communication. In such cases, reappropriation has to be effected the next year, and financial discipline gets affected. 

(29-07-14)

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