J&K govt violates budget provisions by spending Rs 1,961 cr in FY 16: CAG

The Jammu and Kashmir government has spent Rs 1,961 crore during the financial year 2015-16 in "violation of budgetary provisions", the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India said in its report.

"It was noticed that expenditure of Rs 1961.44 crore was incurred in 59 major heads of account without any (budget) provision during 2015-16," said the report on "State Finance" for the year ending March 31, 2016.

The report was tabled in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly recently during its special session on GST.

This has been spent without provision in the original estimates and supplementary demand and without any re- appropriation orders to this effect, it said.

According to the report, some of departments which made the highest expenditure without budget provision include the Social Welfare department, which spent Rs 533.96 crore while the Finance department Rs 517.65 crore.

The Health and Medical Education department made an expenditure of Rs 286.67 crore while the Agriculture department of Rs 104.80 crore, the Rural Development department Rs 146.81 crore, the Industries and Commerce department Rs 85.52 crore, the Public Works Department (PWD) Rs 73.96 crore andthe Planning and Development department of Rs 71.13 crore.

As per budget manual, expenditure should not be incurred on a scheme and service without any provision of funds, the CAG said.