UP CM seeks accountability of officers over timely budget utilisation

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed all departments to speed up budget utilisation in the current financial year and fixed clear accountability of officers at every level to ensure timely spending of allocated funds.

Chairing a review meeting of the finance department, he assessed the expenditure of budgets released to various departments in 2025-26, with detailed presentations by the 20 major departments having the highest budget provisions, according to an official statement.

The review covered approvals issued by the government, allocations made by departmental heads and actual expenditure against sanctioned amounts.

Adityanath said delays in budget utilisation adversely affect the timely completion of projects and deprive people of the intended benefits of government schemes. He instructed senior officers of all departments to ensure that allocated budgets are utilised within stipulated timelines and warned that negligence in this regard would not be tolerated, according to the statement.

Stressing accountability, the chief minister said, "For timely budget spending, responsibility and answerability must be fixed by assigning a specific officer at every level."

"Officers should develop the capacity to take prompt decisions, as indecision and procedural delays often lead to underutilisation of funds," he said, according to the statement.

The chief minister directed departments where expenditure progress is slow to immediately accelerate spending.

He said decisions should be taken without delay so that schemes are implemented on the ground and funds are not left unspent due to administrative lapses.

The CM also asked departmental ministers and senior officers to improve coordination to expedite expenditure.

He directed that departments with slow progress should hold monthly review meetings to identify bottlenecks and resolve issues related to spending.

He instructed the finance department to immediately release pending portions of budget allocations to departments where funds have not been issued due to procedural reasons. The chief minister said any delay in releasing sanctioned funds should be addressed on priority to avoid disruption in project execution.

Referring to centrally sponsored schemes, Adityanath directed departmental ministers, additional chief secretaries and principal secretaries to actively pursue the release of funds from the Centre.

"Senior officers should personally visit New Delhi, write to the concerned ministries and follow up through official communication to ensure timely receipt of central assistance," he said.

He also asked the chief secretary to take initiative in coordinating with the Centre to facilitate faster release of funds. The chief minister directed his office to identify departments with poor expenditure performance and formally communicate the concerns to the respective ministers to ensure corrective action.

During the meeting, the CM also asked the finance department to begin preparations for the budget of the next financial year well in advance.

He said departments should review their budget demands in consultation with the finance department and assess expenditure patterns of the past five years before finalising allocations.

He directed that a new action plan for the 2026-27 budget be prepared at the earliest so that allocations are realistic and aligned with implementation capacity. The chief minister also stressed the need for better coordination with the Centre to ensure timely budgetary support in the coming financial year.

The meeting concluded with directions to ensure strict monitoring of budget utilisation and enforcement of accountability at all administrative levels, according to the statement.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.