Suhail Khan
Srinagar : After Ministry of Home Affairs raised questions on security related expenditure (SRE) scheme, Jammu and Kashmir administration is yet to fix the responsibility of officials allegedly involved in wrong doings.
Union Finance Minister in a budget presented earlier this week allotted Rs 513 crore as SRE for Jammu and Kashmir for 2020-21.
During 2016-17, the Centre has allotted Rs 1185 crore as SRE for J&K. The SRE is to support the logistical requirements of the J&K police to combat militancy in the new Union Territory.
It provides 100% reimbursement of expenditure by the J&K police for carriage of constabulary, honorarium of SPOs, logistical support to security forces (SFs), construction of alternate accommodation for SFs etc.
However, MHA had raised serious questions over the expenditure of allotted funds in J&K over the years.
According to an order of J&K’s Finance Department earlier this year, the MHA has found a violation of basic codal formalities and guidelines framed for the SRE in J&K.
“During the course of internal audit by MHA with regard to reimbursement under SRE, certain observations with respect to non-observance of basic codal formalities and guidelines set up by SRE standing committee were found. In some cases it was found that no codal formalities have been followed while procuring materials under SRE scheme,” Financial Commissioner Finance said in the order.
The MHA audit has found that most of the DDOs have not brought copies of the main abstract of treasury vouchers for verification by the audit team. Instead they have brought only sub-vouchers of firms and abstract registers, it says.
“The advance payment made by police headquarters to CRPF was claimed for reimbursement without ascertaining the actual expenditure incurred by the user entity. None of the DDO maintains a separate cash book for SRE thereby causing difficulty to ascertain the expenditure booked under SRE,” it reads.
As per the order, most of the DDOs have submitted statements of their claims under SRE scheme without mentioning the amount of VAT/SGST etc.
However, sources told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) that J&K administration is yet to take any action against officials for allegedly being involved in wrong doings.
“It has been over six months since MHA raised questions, there is still no action against guilty so far,” sources said.
Sources said the Financial Commissioner has directed drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs), to comply with the directives and follow coda formalities and guidelines in letter and spirit while making payments.(KINS)
