Etela asks officials to limit expenditure

Starts series of meetings for 'Finalisation of Budget Proposals'

Hyderabad: With the budget session of the Telangana State Assembly scheduled to be held in September, Finance Minister Etela Rajender held meeting with officials of various departments for finalising budget proposals before the Telangana Assembly goes for budget session within a couple of weeks.

The Finance Minister started a series of meetings with the concerned Ministers, Special Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries and HoDs to finalise the Budget Estimate for the year 2014-15. The officials were requested to limit the expenditure under Non-Plan to the minimum required level. Assuming that the total resources for 2014-15 may not be more than those in 2013-14 (proportionate to the State of Telangana), directions were given to indicate the allocations for various schemes as per the overall priorities of the government. Any allocations required over the total budgeted amount in 2013-14 and 2014-15 (Vote on Account) would be shown separately as the second priority. On Monday, Etela held meeting with departments of Agriculture, Panchayat Raj, Education, Home and Excise amidst the presence of concerned Ministers.

He would hold meeting with both the Deputy Chief Ministers separately, holding the portfolios of Revenue and Medical on August 12.

Later Ministers of Forest and Transport along with the department officials would meet him on the same day.

He would meet Irrigation department officials along with Minister T Harish Rao on August 13 and on the same day he would meet department officials of Roads & Buildings, Law & Courts, Housing, Rural Water Supply, Rural Development, Cooperation, Endowments, MA & UD, RSAD, Tourism and Culture, Youth Services and Sports on the same day. The meeting with the remaining departments is scheduled for August 16.