CHITRAL: The routine business of the departments devolved to the district government is virtually at the verge of collapse, as the non-salary budget passed by the district council three months ago is yet to be implemented due to row between the district nazim and the local finance department.

Sources in the education, health and some other departments told this correspondent that the offices were facing financial crunch for meeting the expenses of routine needs ranging from petrol for vehicles to paying utility bills.

They said that most of the offices were under notice that their phone and electricity connections would be disconnected in case of nonpayment of bills next month. They said that filling stations had also refused to provide petrol to their official vehicles on credit any more.

Finance officer says cut of Rs16.80m from non-salary budget not justified

The issue had surfaced three months ago when the house curtailed Rs16.80 million from the non-salary budget of these departments and diverted it to the head of maintenance and repair (M&R) of roads and government buildings.

The sources said that the diversion of funds became a bone of contention between the district council and its finance department and the latter did not approve it.

When contacted, district officer, finance, Noorul Amin said that the deduction of Rs16.80 million could not be justified by the district council on the ground that at that time the provincial government had not released any amount for M&R.

He said that he did not approve the non-salary budget on two grounds; firstly, the legality of the very practice was in doubt and secondly, the provincial government had in the meanwhile released Rs44 million to the district government for M&R.

“But the district government remained firm on its decision of retaining the amount deducted from the non-salary budget,” he said, adding that he had no choice but to refer the matter to deputy commissioner who functions as the principal accounting officer of the district government.

The matter was sent by the DC to the finance department seeking guidance about whether two M&R budgets (one district and other provincial) could be maintained in the district simultaneously and whether a non-salary budget could be deducted for diversion to other purposes, said Mr Amin.

He said that answers to the queries were being awaited by the district finance offices.

When contacted, district naib nazim Maulana Abdul Shakoor said that the district council had acted within its ambit of authority.

He said that keeping in view the devastating flash floods of the previous year, it was indispensable for the house to make arrangement for maintenance of roads in the budget.

The budget passed by the house was binding on the finance department and it should have been approved without making inconvenience for the devolved departments.

Mr Shakoor said that the district government had made conditional curtailment from the non-salary budget and that the amount would be returned to the devolved departments as and when the M&R budget was released by the government.

Published in Dawn October 26th, 2016