Panel to look after new medical colleges

EMC formed to ensure fiscal discipline

SRINAGAR: To ensure smooth take-off of the five new medical colleges in the State, Governor N N Vohra has called for putting in place a multidisciplinary committee of officers and experts to coordinate infrastructure and academic issues of these colleges.

Governor has asked the Chief Secretary to urgently constitute the Committee which shall coordinate with the concerned Departments various activities related to the new medical colleges coming up at Anantnag, Baramulla, Kathua, Rajouri and Doda.

The committee shall harmonize issues like infrastructure development including construction works, setting up of equipment, hiring of faculty, paramedical staff and academic matters so that the academic activities in these Colleges get started any hiccups as per schedule.

Meanwhile, in an important announcement, the Governor called for instituting annual awards for engineers, construction companies and contractors who’s work in the state is outstanding. He also called for incentivizing executing agencies for completing developmental projects ahead of the scheduled time while maintaining the quality parameters and professional standards. Such a move, he said, will go a long way in encouraging best practices in construction works.

The Governor also called for installing plaques on construction works mentioning the date on which the project was started, cost of the project, the construction agency, the name of the contractor and the date of completion.

Meanwhile, the state government has constituted an Expenditure Management Cell in the Finance Department to ensure fiscal discipline.
“Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of Expenditure Management Cell in the Finance Department to be headed by Raman Gupta, Joint Director, Budget,” said an order issued by the Principal Secretary Finance, Mr Navin K Choudhary.

The Members of the Committee include Mushtaq Ahmad, Accounts Officer, Budget and Priya Badyal, Accounts Officer, Resources while Adil Fareed, Under Secretary in the Finance Department will be the Member Secretary of the Committee.

The Terms of Reference of the Expenditure Management Committee include improving allocative efficiencies in the existing expenditure classification system with focus on capital expenditure; strive to improve operational efficiency of expenditures through focus on utilization, targets and outcomes; move towards achieving reduction in financial costs through better cash management system; work towards improving the capacities of existing institutional arrangements like budgeting process and FRBM rules for enforcing aggregate fiscal discipline; improve financial reporting system in terms of accounting, budgeting etc; enhance use of information technology tools for expenditure management; track submission of Utilization Certificates by the Departments for Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs) and other GoI schemes; monitor utilized/un-utilized funds and submit fortnightly consolidated summary reports and investigate financial irregularities referred to it.