BHUBANESWAR: The state government has asked different departments to spend the supplementary budget provisions by March and not park the funds in civil deposits as it will invite adverse comments from the audit. In a letter to all the departments, the Finance department has said that issue of sanction orders for release of funds and surrender of provisions should be made by January 31 to avoid rush of expenditure in the last month of the financial year. The last date for submission of bills to the treasuries has been set on March 9 for machinery, equipment, vehicle, share capital, subsidy and loans while for other provisions the last date will be March 14.
Though the government runs a large number of welfare programmes, the departments have been asked to give priority to spending on creation of capital assets and social sector. The focus should be on rural infrastructure projects and expenditure on maintenance of capital assets. The stress of the government is on proper allocation of government funds.
Besides, the state share of Central sponsored schemes will be allocated only after receiving the central assistance and funds should be provided for completion of projects under zero-based investment review.
The departments have also been asked to limit the expenditure under different Centrally sponsored schemes commensurate with the availability of Central share with as per the allocation of funds made by the Centre and the corresponding state share due as per the financing pattern of the scheme.
Supplementary budget of Rs 16,800 crore for 2022-23 was approved in the Assembly recently and out of the total supplementary provision, Rs 9,200 crore was allocated towards programme expenditure, Rs 4,934 crore for administrative expenditure and Rs 2,610 crore for disaster management.