Additional Chief Secretary cum Development Commissioner Amit Khare said on Saturday that the Planning-cum-Finance Department has ordered investigation and reconciliation of Government funds logged in bank accounts.
Asking all the department secretaries of the government to file a status report by October 16, he also warned officials of facing dire consequences through concerned departments if any of them is found logging Government funds in bank accounts without obtaining prior permission from the Finance Department. Directing Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, and Heads of all the departments, all the commissioners, deputy commissioners, deputy development commissioners, treasures and deputy treasurers, Khare has asked them to ensure closure of all bank accounts through respective DDOs immediately which have been operating without pre-permission of the Finance Department and to deposit amounts in those accounts into government treasury. The departments have been directed to take action against concerned officials in case any deviation/loss in expenditure of Government funds is unearthed, and to immediately inform about the same to the Finance Department. Notably, the entire practice of safeguarding Government funds comes after a case of transferring Rs 100 crores of Mid Day Meal fund logged in one of the SBI branches in the city to one individual account of a construction company was unearthed over a week ago. Moreover, the Finance Department has asked officials to take extra precaution in withdrawal of funds from even those accounts which have been opened with due permission of the department, failing to which Immediate Controlling Officer shall be held liable.