Pranab cracks down on indisciplined officials

Aug 27, 2010 |

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Pranab Mukherjee

Aug. 26: The Union finance minister, Mr Pranab Mukh-erjee, has asked bureaucrats to seek his consent before sending any policy note with financial implications to the Union Cabinet for approval.

The move to remind the ministries of the Central government became necessary after it was found that on several occasions bureaucrats had sent final notes for the consideration of the Union Cabinet without the knowledge of the finance minister, sources revealed.

Since the administrative head of the government is the cabinet secretary, his office has issued a circular asking all ministries to “obtain approval of the minister of finance” in all cases appraised by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) and Public Investment Board (PIB). A copy of the circular is in the possession of this newspaper.

EFC appraisal is required in cases pertaining to planned and un-planned expenditure, whereas PIB clearance is required in cases involving investment through Central public sector enterprises. The two appraising bodies, interestingly, work under the ministry of finance.

Sources said many of the financial proposals have political implications and at times there are cases that may not be economically viable but have political ramifications. “In such cases, if the decision is left only to experts and bureaucrats, it might jeopardise the government’s intent. So it has been decided to make it mandatory that all final notes to be sent for consideration of the Union Cabinet must have the personal approval of the finance minister,” they added.

Specifying that the approval of the finance minister must be indicated in the “main body” of the final note, the circular said, “In cases where proposals are appraised by the EFC and PIB, the notes for the Cabinet are required to be sent after obtaining the approval of the minister of finance.” The circular also reminded the ministries that a trend has been noticed where in notes brought up for consideration of the Cabinet “the approval of the minister of finance is not specifically indicated in the main body of the notes or the annexures”.

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