BHUBANESWAR: Amid concerns over low spending by departments this financial year, the state government has extended the deadlines to regulate the submission of bills and claims in the treasuries for administrative convenience.
As per the revised deadlines, the departments can submit bills to the treasuries for claims under other contingencies, machinery, equipment, vehicle, share capital, subsidy and loans till March 10 and other claims till March 17.
The Finance department has also asked the departments to submit bills related relief expenditure, energy charges, rent, medical advance, old age/disability and widow pension, scholarships, mid-day meal, police, fire services, elections and bulk disbursements by March 24.
The departments can submit bills pertaining to claims related to centrally-sponsored schemes by March 31 for which the central assistance is received on or after March 17 and bills related to PMAY and ITDP by March 24.
The Finance department has asked all departments to act accordingly and strictly adhere to the revised deadlines in the interest of fiscal discipline and effective financial management. There will be no further relaxation in the deadlines, principal secretary Saswat Mishra has clarified.
Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has advised all agency banks that are dealing with government business to keep their branches open on March 31, which is a holiday.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed the heads of all departments and ministers concerned to ensure 85 per cent of budget utilisation by the end of March. The direction came after 16 out of 44 departments had failed to spend even half of their allocated funds by the end of January.
Earlier, the deadlines for issuance of allotment, sanction for release of funds, re-appropriation of funds and surrender of provisions were also extended to expedite budget expenditure and avoid rush at the fag end of the financial year.