Assam babus taking tutorials to submit UCs

Avoid defects & ambiguities, use proper format, heads of departments told

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Aug 9: Facing flak for failing to submit utilization certificates of projects on time, government officials in Assam are now taking lessons on preparing utilization certificates in proper format so that these are not rejected by the Accountant General.

The Principal Secretary of the Fince department has circulated a note to all the additiol chief secretaries, principal secretaries, commissioner & secretaries and secretaries guiding the officials, to prepare utilization certificates in prescribed form.

The note says that utilization certificates are often not cleared due to their "defective ture".

It also cited some flaws often observed in the utilization certificates submitted by the administrative department.

While some utilization certificates are ambiguous in ture, in some, the amounts are rounded off, making unclear the sanctioned/drawn funds.

According to the note, the certifying authority often does not put a dated sigture in the UCs. Also, in some cases, photocopies are forwarded without attestation and counter-sign of the department concerned. "Heads of department or any other appropriate authority on his behalf should countersign the UC before submission to the Accountant General's office.

"Some UCs are silent on the balance unspent amount," the note stated.

Last year, a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India revealed that as many as 18,525 utilization certificates have not been submitted by State government departments.

The utilization certificates (UCs) related to projects for which an estimated Rs 10,956.66 crore were paid to 62 departments during the period 2001-02 to 2012-13.

Most of the delays in submission of the UCs have been inordite. Around 16,788 UCs have been delayed by three or more years.