TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: In an exercise to cut corners and rationalize expenditures on lunches and dinners hosted by government officials, the State finance ministry has imposed ceilings and restrictions, which come into immediate effect. From now on government approval will be required in case lunches, dinners or even high teas are going to be hosted by anyone ~ even if he is a Cabinet minister or just a bureaucrat.
In fact, ceilings too have been levied on the number of guests that can be entertained and in case it crosses the limit then further approvals too need to be taken.
‘Prior approval of the chief minister is necessary for holding official lunch/dinner. In case of exigencies, prior intimation should be given to the office of chief minister followed by proposal for sanction to be submitted the following day’, the issued directions say.
While the chief minister and deputy chief minister can entertain 200 and 150 guests per occasion respectively, ministers and leader of Opposition can entertain 100 guests per occasion. However, the chief secretary will be able to entertain only 50 guests per occasion as against the earlier limit of 75.
Similarly, Secretaries can entertain only 30 guests per occasion as against the earlier figure of 50, while heads of departments, joint secretaries, additional secretaries and special secretaries can entertain only 20 persons.
The finance ministry has also decided to fix the limit on expenditure incurred by the competent authorities under the Goa Delegation of financial powers Rules 2008.
The circular issued earlier this week states that cost of serving light refreshments for formal and informal meetings cannot exceed Rs 180 per head per meeting inclusive of all taxes while the ceiling per head for lunch/dinner has been restricted at Rs 1300 per head inclusive of all taxes.
Proposals, however, need not be routed through protocol department in case expenditure is proposed to be debited to the concerned departments’ budget head.
Likewise, prior approval will have to be sought in case specified limits are required to be exceeded.
The ceilings are applicable for serving of light refreshments at all formal and informal meetings and expenditures on lunch/dinner.
A source in the finance ministry disclosed that while limit on guests to be entertained per occasion has been reduced, that there is a meager hike in the ‘per head’ expenditure from Rs 150 to Rs 180 for refreshments and from Rs 1200 to Rs 1300 due to increase in the taxes that have come into effect recently.
