Hyderabad: A circular issued by the finance department directing officials to propose new schemes to maximise flow of funds into the state has left them in a tizzy.
The circular, issued by principal finance secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao directing all departments to propose new schemes, is leaving the officials nonplussed as the TS government is not in a position to utilise funds sanctioned by the Central government under Centrally Sponsored Schemes in the current financial year.
The circular points out that the Centre has increased allocation of funds for Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Central Sector Schemes for 2017-18 and directs all departments “to send proposals for new schemes to Government of India so as to maximise flow of funds to Telangana state”.
The government has increased funds for Centrally sponsored schemes from Rs 2,45,434.82 crore to Rs 2,78,433.23 crore in financial year 2017-18. For Central sector schemes, the Centre has increased funds allocation from Rs 6,24,411.81 crore to Rs 6,66,644.02 crore.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is holding a series of meetings on Budget preparations that are attended finance minister Etala Rajendar, Chief Secretary S.P. Singh and state government adviser Rajeev Sharma.
During one such meeting, the Chief Secretary revealed that more than Rs 1,000 crore has to be spent in the financial year under Centrally-sponsored schemes.
The state government has to send department-wise utilisation certificates to get the balance funds from the Centre.
If the Centre releases the funds at the last minute, it would not be possible to spend them before the current financial year ends on March 31 and they will lapse. In the department-wise meetings, Mr Sharma directed the officials to regroup and rationalise the schemes.
Citing construction of Secretariat, collectorates and other government buildings, he pointed out that this was being shown under different heads in the Budget.
Mr Sharma suggested that after regrouping, these works can be shown under a single head.
