FinMin asks ministries, depts to curb excess spending

The Finance Ministry today asked ministries and departments to ensure that excess expenditure does not happen in the wake of the the Public Accounts Committee criticising the government on this.

"Necessary steps may be taken by the secretaries, being the chief accounting authorities, to ensure that no instance of excess expenditure takes place in future...Except in exceptional circumstances," an office memorandum issued by the Expenditure Secretary Sushma Nath said.

The memorandum has drawn special attention to the Defence, Railways, Company Affairs and the Mines ministries.

Earlier, the PAC had rapped the government for displaying indifferent attitude towards containing expenditure within the authorised limits. The PAC is constituted by Parliament each year to examine the accounts of the Union government.