Jammu, 11 August (H.S.): The Jammu and Kashmir Government has revised the financial powers delegated to various departments and engineering officers for administrative approval, technical sanction and award of contracts for individual works.

As per a notification issued by the Finance Department, administrative departments can now approve expenditure up to Rs 30 crore with the concurrence of the Director Finance/Financial Advisor and Chief Accounts Officer, while Chief Engineers have been delegated powers up to Rs 15 crore and Major Heads of Departments, including District Development Commissioners, up to Rs 7.50 crore.

Similarly, Superintending Engineers can accord administrative approval up to Rs 4.50 crore.

The Government has also raised the limits for technical sanctions, with Superintending Engineers empowered up to Rs 2 crore, Executive Engineers up to Rs 75 lakh and Assistant Executive Engineers up to Rs 10 lakh for original works.

For maintenance and repair works, the corresponding limits have been fixed at Rs 7.50 lakh, Rs 3.75 lakh and Rs 1 lakh.

The Government has also enhanced the powers for awarding contracts, with Departmental Contract Committees authorised up to Rs 60 crore, Chief Engineers up to Rs 30 crore, Superintending Engineers up to Rs 10.50 crore and Executive Engineers up to Rs 2.25 crore.

The revised provisions are aimed at streamlining financial approvals and speeding up execution of development works in Jammu and Kashmir.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar