FM wants assessment report for new schemes

The Maharashtra finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has asked all departments to submit detail assessment reports over impact that any new scheme will have on society along with its draft proposal. If the departments fail to submit the report, the finance department would reject the proposals, said Mr Mungantiwar.

Meanwhile, bureaucrats are disappointed on being communicated to directly by the finance minister instead of being briefed by their

concerned ministers. The finance minister has, in his letter dated October 28, said to principal secretaries and secretaries of all departments to submit details of the social impact of new proposals before sending it to the finance department.

“I have asked secretaries to give details about new proposals. If the scheme has already been implemented and the department needs grant, they will have to submit the assessment of the scheme and state if there is there any lacunae in the scheme,” Mr Mungantiwar told The Asian Age.

He further added that the ministry would like to know what the social impact would be on introducing the new scheme. “We have to use money which is collected from the pocket of tax payers and hence every rupee should be utilised on proper schemes in a systematic way,” he said.

“I have also asked bureaucrats that they should be careful about the proposed schemes so as to avoid its duplication,” Mr Mungantiwar said adding that in case a department already has a scheme in place which is similar to the one proposed, the ministry should consider if both the schemes could be merged or not.

The letter issued by the finance minister stated that because of incomplete proposals, the finance department had taken a negative approach towards such schemes. “Despite repeated warnings, if incomplete proposals are submitted to finance department, it will be brought

to the notice of the chief secretary,” the letter stated.When asked for a comment on the bureaucrats being disappointed with the direct communication with the secretaries, Mr Mungantiwar said, “It’s the duty of secretaries to suggest and draft new schemes. They are being paid for that, otherwise, we can recruit any class-10 passed employee as secretary.

Meanwhile, one of the bureaucrats, on condition of anonymity, said according to tradition, the finance minister has to communicate with the concerned minister first. “Let my minister issue me the instructions only then will I follow it,” he said.

“We, secretaries are not very impressed with Mr Mungantiwar’s style of sending the letter directly to us,” he claimed.