No salaries! Dispur presses urgent button

DCs-SDOs-Treasury officers directed to release payments without insisting on budget allocation

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, May 8: Almost one and half month has passed since the State budget for the fincial year 2015-16 was passed in the Assembly on March 26, but the employees of several State government departments are yet to get their salaries for the month of April.

Sources said the State government has failed to distribute the budgetary allocations department-wise till date since the passing of the budget.  The unnecessary delay in distribution of budgetary allocations has become a norm in the State, which has also attracted the attention of the Central government. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), on several occasions earlier, objected to this habit, but nothing has changed on the ground.

As per the present trend, 90 per cent of the total budgetary allocation is spent by most of the departments in the month of March, the last month in a fiscal year (April to March).

Now due to this bad practice, government employees are also suffering.

The Fince (Budget) Department , Government of Assam, in a recent directive to all Deputy Commissioners/ Sub Divisiol Officers (Civil) and Treasury Officers, has directed that all salary/ wages/ work-charged and muster roll payment/ grants-in-aid bills for payment of salary and pension benefits for the month of April 2015, be passed for payment without insisting on budget allocation, subject to subsequent adjustment from budget allocation of 2015-16 when made.

The move follows after it came to notice that salaries and pensions of State government employees and pensioners in some departments and in a few treasuries for the month of April 2015, have not been disbursed till date for want of budget allocation from the concerned administrative departments.

Moreover, claims submitted by the authorities of Autonomous Councils for payment of salary/ wages/ work-charged and muster roll payment/ grants-in-aid for payment of salary for the month of April 2015 may also be released subject to adjustment from their PL accounts as and when accumulated.