Financial powers rules set for revision
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 09 2019:
The Finance Department has sought opinions of all concerned for revision of the Delegation of Financial Powers Rules 1995 which is currently in force.
Principal Secretary (Finance) Rakesh Ranjan issued an office memorandum to this effect today.
According to the office memorandum, the Delegation of Financial Powers Rules 1995 were framed about 25 years back and there is a need to revise and update it.
It also invited opinions and suggestions from Government Departments, public sector undertakings, autonomous bodies, Government agencies and organisations regarding the areas where they want revision and modification.
It said that all suggestions and opinions regarding the matter should be submitted by July 31 .
Notably, the Delegation of Financial Powers Rules 1995 determine the amounts which heads of departments, Directors and DDOs can draw and utilise in their official capacity.
However as the Delegation of Financial Powers Rules 1995 were framed around 25 years back, it is no longer suitable to the contemporary period in view of the prices of goods which have risen manifold.
The Delegation of Financial Powers Rules 1995 necessitate seeking approval at the Secretariat level for small amounts needed for such purposes like repairing vehicles, purchase of tyres, stationery items etc thereby causing serious inconveniences to all departments, sources informed.
Finance Department initiated due process of revising and modifying the Delegation of Financial Powers Rules 1995 in view of all these inconveniences.
At present, sanctioning of funds in the State is done through Treasury.
However Pay and Accounts Office (PAO) system has been introduced in Central Government offices and some other States.
Under PAO system, one need not go to Treasury for sanctioning funds.
It makes the process of sanctioning funds easier and less time consuming.
It is time to introduce PAO system in some selected department, if not all the departments, on pilot basis so as to streamline financial and other administrative matters, said the sources.
Meanwhile, Finance Department Secretariat, Pay Implementation Cell issued a notification today regarding pay anomalies in different departments.
According to the notification issued by Principal Secretary (Finance) Rakesh Ranjan, the Manipur Services (Revised Pay) Rules 2010 has to be amended and it would be called the Manipur Services (Revised Pay) (5th Amendment) Rules 2019 .
In line with the notification, grade pays of 25 posts of different departments have been revised.
The revised pay bands and grade pays would be effective from January 1, 2016 notionally with cash payment from July 1 this year.
As for those posted for which amendment of recruitment rules were notified after January 1, 2016, the revised pay band and grade pay would be effective notionally from the date of publication of notified/amended recruitment rules in the State gazette with cash payment from July 1 this year.