Bhubaneswar: Soon after the Appropriation Bill was passed in Odisha Legislative Assembly, the Department of Finance has issued detailed timelines for spending the Supplementary Budget for the remaining period of current financial year 2023-24.
Principal Secretary, Finance, Vishal Dev has issued a letter to all Additional Chief Secretaries (ACSs), Principal Secretaries, Secretaries and Heads of Departments, in this regard.
The Appropriation Bill allowing the Government to spend Rs 28,200 crore was passed in the Assembly on 3 October.
In the Supplementary Budget, provision has been made for recoupment of advance taken from Odisha Contingency Fund. It should be recouped by December 2023 and compliance should be reported to the Finance Department by 6 January , 2024, Shri Dev told the Departments.
The total allotment including supplementary provision excluding the provision for recoupment of advance from Odisha Contingency Fund and the provision for accounting adjustment should be distributed among the Drawing & Disbursing Officers (DDO) through treasury portal by December end. In case of Supplementary linked re-appropriation or additional allotment should be distributed by 15 January, 2024, he said.
Principal Secretary Finance Shri Dev directed the departments to complete all supplementary linked surrender and re-appropriation orders by December end.
The process of issuance of sanction orders for release of funds as well as surrender of provisions should be completed by 31.01.2024 so as to avoid a rush of expenditure in the last month of the financial year, he advised.
In order to avoid last minute rush, Shri Dev made it clear that the last date of submission of bills to the Treasuries for the financial year 2023-24 is 8 March, 2024 for claims under other contingencies, machinery, equipment, vehicle, share capital, subsidy & loans and 15 March, 2024 for other claims.
“Steps should be taken for full and effective utilization of supplementary provisions as any unspent balance would invite adverse comments from the Audit. Budgetary funds shall, in no case, be transferred to civil deposit,” he clarified.
The Departments have been asked to give priority to release funds as State Share of CSS where the Central assistance is received, capital outlay for creation of capital assets, social sector projects, completion of projects under zero-based investment and projects with funding from Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), IDBI Cluster Development Fund Scheme (SCDF), External Aided Projects (EAP), etc.
In case of funds transferred to implementing agencies, it is to be ensured that funds are drawn and transferred only for actual expenditure and not for parking in bank accounts, he pointed out.
“If any misclassification of expenditure and receipt is noticed and as a result there is excess expenditure over the approved grant and appropriation, the concerned controlling officers shall be held responsible and accountable to the Public Accounts Committee,” warned the Principal Secretary Finance.
