GUWAHATI, Jan 30 � The States Finance Department is worried over the slow pace of sanctioning of schemes and release of funds. This has become clear during the regular review of the disposal status of the proposals received from the other State Government departments, sources said.
The Finance Department delegated most of the sanctioning powers to the line departments sometime in October last year. The Department releases fund to the other departments after they sanction the schemes and when fund is required for disbursement.
As per the decision of the State�s Council of Ministers, it asked the line departments to adhere to the deadlines fixed by it for the purpose of issue of sanction and submission of proposals for ceiling, etc. during the current financial year.
According to the schedule, the last date for receipt of proposals in the Finance Department for concurrence was January 15. The schedule had February 15 next as the last date for issue of sanctions by the line departments, March 1 next as the last date for submission of ceiling proposals in Finance Department, March 15 next as the last date for issue of ceiling by Finance Department and March 20 next as the last date for submission of bills to treasuries.
However, most of the departments failed to stick to the first deadline. Requests are being received from the departments to extend the deadline for submission of proposals. Moreover, proposals for issue of ceiling in respect to plan fund have been on the lower side. This is in spite of the fact that the delegation of sanctioning power has been given to the line departments to cover almost 90 per cent of the plan schemes, sources said.
The dates for submission of proposals, etc., have now been extended. According to the revised deadlines, the last date for receipt of proposals in the Finance Department for concurrence is February 15 next. The revised deadlines have February 29 next as the last date for issue of sanctions by the line departments, March 15 next as the last date for submission of ceiling proposals in Finance Department.
March 23 next has been fixed as the last date for issue of ceiling by Finance Department and March 27 next as the last date for submission of bills to the treasuries (including salaries and arrear salaries) by the revised deadlines, sources said.
