Concerned over the burgeoning expenditure even as revenue receipts fail to keep pace, Haryana Government has asked its departments to avoid unnecessary expenditure.
In a fresh directions issued by Haryana Finance Department, all Administrative Secretaries have been asked to hold meetings with senior officers concerned to curtail expenditure and avoid unnecessary expenditure in their departments.
Also, the heads of all departments have been asked to not fill any post lying vacant for more than two years, whether newly created or old in their departments without prior approval.
The Finance Department has asked to ensure “strict compliance” of these instructions.
The orders issued by the Finance Department stated, “All the Administrative Secretaries should hold detailed discussions with officers concerned of their departments and identify areas in which expenditure could be curtailed. It is expected that all unnecessary expenditure will be avoided by the Departments.”
“The posts lying vacant for more than two years, whether newly created or old, should not be filled without prior approval of the Finance Department. It shall not be applicable to the posts for which requisition has already been sent to the HPSC, HSSC and for which advertisements have been issued. Relaxation from these instructions can be granted in exceptional circumstances with the prior approval of the Chief Minister and Finance Department,” stated the orders.
The directions have issued to all Principal Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Deputy Commissioner, Managing Directors of all Boards and Corporations, Registrars of Universities and Commissioners Rohtak, Gurgaon, Hisar and Ambala Divisions.
Notably, the preparations for the budget 2016-17 are in progress and the budgetary requirements of all departments have already been sized up by the Finance Department for making provision for the funds in the budget.
The State Government’s increasing debt burden, squeezing revenue and burgeoning expenditure had remained the hallmarks of the state budget estimates for 2015-16.
However, throwing its austerity measures to the wind, Manohar lal Khattar led Haryana Government had last year purchased a fleet of “high-end” cars for ministers and officers.
The State Government had last year also revised the price limit for official cars to be purchased for its bureaucrats. Maruti Ciaz, a luxury sedan by Maruti, had made an entry into the list of cars to be bought for bureaucrats and managing directors and heads of the departments (HoDs) were made entitled to get this luxury car.