Do away with funds approval system: CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh wants to do away with the system of getting approval of the finance ministry for release of funds even if a provision has been made for the speedy implementation of various schemes and projects.

Deshmukh wishes to have a structure on the lines of the system at the Centre under which each department has a finance controller who gives the administrative nod.

Deshmukh mooted the idea at a meeting with officials of the Tribal Welfare Department, called to review implementation of various schemes regarding tribal welfare.

It has been the usual experience that most ministries fail to spend 30 per cent to 35 per cent of their allocation for development schemes at the end of financial year. Hence, funds lapse and are deposited in the consolidated funds.

When the CM rapped the officials for slow pace of schemes, they argued most of their time is wasted in getting the approvals and sanctions from the finance department.

We hear similar complaints from most departments. The only way to overcome the problem is to appoint a finance controller who is a finance ministry official on deputation who gives the final sanction for releasing funds, a practice followed at the Centre, observed Deshmukh.

Deshmukh immediately got concurrence from Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil who also said, "We should experiment with this idea and see how it works in the state." Though the two concur, they need to convince Finance Minister Jayant Patil to agree to their plan.

Through tight controls on expenditure Patil streamlined the state's finances which were on the verge of collapse seven years ago. Now Patil and finance department will not easily agree to give up their powers, said a senior official from state government