Depts sleep over Cabinet decision
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 04 2017:
Even though the State Cabinet adopted a decision on May 30 to open Internal Finance Division (IFD) in each and every department with the primary objective of streamlining financial management, most departments have been virtually sleeping over the same decision .
Subsequent upon the Cabinet decision, Finance Department (Finance Commission Cell) issued an office memorandum on the same matter on June 1.This was followed by publication of gazette notification on June 5 .
As per the office memorandum issued by Finance Commissioner Vivek Kumar Dewangan and the gazette notification, every department/directorate of the State Government should set up IFD within 15 days without fail .
Each IFD should be headed by the senior most MFS officer of the respective department/directorate.
Under IFD, each department's budgets, accounts, audit and planning sections should be amalgamated and they would be re-designated as Internal Finance Division within 15 days from the date of the order .
Heads of Departments should also submit compliance reports to Department of Personnel and Finance Department, sources informed .
In spite of the Cabinet decision, Finance Department's office memorandum and the gazette notification, most Government departments are yet to comply with the same order .
This non-compliance evokes a serious question whether the Government's initiative to bring transparency in financial management and its other activities is responded to by its own departments or not.
Some quarters have also been questioning whether MCS officers posted as administrative officers at departments whose HoDs are not IAS officers are being sidelined rather than engaging them in administration .
MCS officers are posted as administrative officers primarily to look after the particular departments' establishment and administrative centres .
These administrative officers have not been entrusted their primary tasks because some people have been running the departments at their whims, the sources said .
There are more than 53 departments under the State Government.
It is essential to define the duties of administrative officers clearly in order to resolve administrative problems and bring transparency and accountability as desired by the Government .
Informing that ACRs of MCS/MFS officers are compiled by HoDs, the sources pointed out that this practice is one primary reason for sidelining officers of organised services without giving much responsibility and duties .
The matter demands a high-level enquiry, the sources added.