Finance Min clarifies on circular: Normal recruitment through central agencies to continue

There is no restriction or ban on filling up of posts in the Central government and normal recruitments through agencies like Staff Selection Commission, UPSC, Railway Recruitment Board, etc will continue as usual without any curbs, the Finance Ministry has clarified. This comes a day after it issued an official memo to Central Ministries/departments banning the creation of new posts, except with the approval of the expenditure department of the concerned authority.

"The Department of Expenditure circular dated 4 September 2020 deals with the internal procedure for creation of (new) posts and does not in anyway affect or curtail recruitment," the Finance Ministry said in a tweet on Saturday.

The memo issued Friday says: "If any post has been created after July 1, 2020, under delegated powers or authority, without the approval of Expenditure Department and have not yet been filled, then those posts shall not be filled. If it is deemed absolutely essential to fill them, proposals may be sent for approval of the Department of Expenditure."

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Cost-cutting instruction

Amid intense pressure on the treasury due to falling revenues and sinking economic growth, the Centre on Friday asked all central govt ministries/departments to review appointments of consultants, curtail functions and ban the use of imported paper for printing as part of measures to rationalise non-priority expenditure.

The Finance Ministry issued instructions on expenditure management with a view to improving the quality of public expenditure, containing non-developmental spending, and ensuring the availability of adequate resources for critical priority schemes, the Department of Expenditure said in the official memo.

"In the context of the present fiscal situation and the consequent pressure on Government resources, there is a need for further economy and rationalisation of non-priority expenditure, while protecting and preserving priority expenditure," the memo said.

(PTI Photo)

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