Dispur cutting corners to pay salaries!

Eyebrows raised after Fince department orders transfer of all funds from Revenue Deposit to State exchequer

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Aug 30: An office memorandum issued by the Fince department has blown the lid off the State’s sickly fincial condition.

So acute is the fincial crisis that Dispur has been prompted to transfer all funds in the Revenue Deposit to the State exchequer.

Unused funds are kept in the Revenue Deposit by the departments after approval from the Fince department. These are sanctioned funds under various heads which could not be utilized by the departments in a given fincial year.

Officials say that the cumulative fund in the Revenue Deposit is to the tune of several hundred crores. The departments can withdraw the funds again from the Revenue Deposit only after a concurrence from the Fince department.

In a recent office memorandum, the Commissioner & Secretary (Fince) directed all the departments to withdraw the funds from the Revenue Deposit and deposit it in the state exchequer. The State government is at liberty to use the funds from the exchequer, raising doubts that these may be diverted for other exigent purposes like paying salaries.

Sources said that a number of schemes and projects have come to a standstill due to the fincial crisis faced by the State government. The salary burden of the government has been increasing every year. In 2013-14, the actual salary burden was Rs 14,841.44 crore. It rose to Rs 16,325.58 crore (projection) last year, and is expected to increase further to Rs 17,958.14 crore this fincial year.

The government has also announced plans to recruit some 6,000 LP teachers and as many constables, adding further to the salary burden. Both the recruitment processes are underway.

In another directive, the Fince department has suspended the powers of the administrative departments to issue ceiling of funds up to Rs 1 crore. Henceforth, all ceilings will be issued by the Fince department.