J-K orders austerity leash for ministers

Rs 10,679 crore as against

Rs 10,463 crore by the NDA regime. But the Finance department says the Centre is not helping with ‘‘assistance over and above the budget’’, as was the case with the NDA.

Although economic experts have repeatedly warned against extravagance, sources say, on a monthly basis, around Rs 30 crore is spent on the ministries alone. About two-thirds of the amount allocated — Rs 1,600 crore — is spent on salaries and electricity tariff annually. The remaining goes towards salaries for staffers.

J-K’s economic advisor Haseeb Drabu, who was engaged by the PDP to prepare the budget last year, dismisses a funds crunch. He says austerity measures have been put in place ‘‘to divert wasteful expenditure from non-productive items to productive ones’’.

The Finance department, meanwhile, has forwarded a plan size of Rs 3,600 crore for this year. Besides, the state laps up Rs 2,200 crore as non-plan fund approximately every year.

The J-K government’s austerity measures to curb expenditure include:

• Complete ban on the purchase of vehicles, including replacements.

• The Power Development Department has been asked to contain purchase of power within the allocated budget. It has been asked to take steps to draw and supply power during off-peak hours and make requisite cuts during peak hours. The department has also been ordered to recover entire arrears besides registering illegal connections. It has been asked to charge the subscribers according to the load and ensure surprise checks to cease illegal electrical heating appliances at domestic or commercial level

• A blanket ban on purchase of furniture, fixtures and furnishing except for the newly established offices. Such purchases to be monitored by Finance department.

• No official dinners or lunches except those hosted by the chief minister.

• Ban on recruitment in government services to continue and no vacancy shall be filled during 2004-05. Posts cleared by screening committee shall be filled.

• The Director, Garages, has been ordered to withdraw all vehicles of his department which are allotted to officers who are not entitled to them

• Ban on appointment of substitutes against the leave arrangement for the 2004-05

• A blanket ban on any kind of refreshment in government offices. Departments have been ordered to install canteens based on no-loss, no-profit in all major office complexes.

• The Public Health Engineering Department has been asked to ensure the recovery of all pending arrears.

• The revenue generation targets for all revenue-earning departments has been increased by 15 per cent. The government has also ordered the upward revision of the service charges of Public Health Engineering and Irrigation department.