Accountability panel imposes curbs on govt building expenses

The J-K State Accountability Commission has asked the Estates Department not to undertake maintenance or renovation of government residences without a formal requisition from the allottee, including ministers.
The Commission passed these directions considering the CAG report's revelation of a huge expenditure of Rs 5 crore last year on maintenance of official residences of various government functionaries, including ministers and officers, a statement issued by the Registrar State Accountability Commission (SAC) said here.
The statement said after hearing the Director Estates Department, it was noticed by the Commission that there was no norms or procedures for undertaking renovation, repair, rebuilding and restructuring works of official residences of ministers and government officers.

In the absence of any norms or procedures, public funds were found to be spent in a "free for all manner" without following any formalities, it said.
The Commission comprising Justice B A Khan as chairperson and Justice (Retd) J P Singh and Justice Bashir A Kirmani as members has recommended to the government that maintenance of official residences shall be not be carried out without a written requisition from the allottee, the statement said.
It said the SAC has directed the government that the execution of such works should be done only after verification and estimation by experts for them.

The Commission has also asked the government to streamline expenditure on such works to check the high spending of public funds by the departments, the statement said.