Officers told their bills can be processed after receipt of sufficient amount under relevant heads
The day-to-day movement and functioning of Army officers to attend courses or crucial meetings may be hit due to cash crunch for meeting travel and accommodation expenses. Nearly Rs 4,000 crore is spent every year on these purposes.
An order issued on Monday by Principal Controller of Defence Accounts, Pune said due to insufficient funds available under Temporary Duty and Permanent Duty heads of Army officers, no TA/DA advances and claims can be processed till receipt of sufficient funds under the relevant heads. However, facility for Leave Travel Concession (LTC) will continue.
Explaining the implications of the order, officials said here at any given time more than 1,000 officers move to and fro on temporary duty. Earlier, while proceeding they could withdraw in advance more than 60 to 70 per cent of the likely total expenses and later submit the bills. That facility was withdrawn sometime back.
Given the nature of job and discipline, the officers, however, used to travel on their own and later claim allowances. The latest order has put a stop to this also.
Elaborating the concept of Temporary Duty, sources said an officer, for example, posted in a sensitive area, may be asked to report about certain security matters in person due to security reasons to the top most commanders at a different station or New Delhi. Moreover, any stint up to six months is treated as Temporary Duty and officers are paid allowances accordingly.
Other functions under Temporary Duty include officers attending seminars, conferences, lectures, short term courses, liaison and joint planning conferences besides court martial and court of inquiry proceedings. All these are part of daily charter of the Army to function as well-oiled machinery, they said. Moreover, at least 50 per cent of officers on Temporary Duty are attending professional courses of various durations, officials added.
This order comes months after the Army officers were directed to avoid staying in hotel and instead avail of Army guesthouses facilities while on temporary duty or official visits. Officers according to their respective ranks are entitled to stay in three star hotels and in some cases five star hotels and the directive to refrain from doing so was issued to bring down expenses.