Expenditure Commission to submit interim report by January

KOLKATA: The Expenditure Management Commission is expected to submit its interim report by January 2015 and the final one will be submitted about a year later.

"We will submit the interim report next month and final report before the Budget 2016-17," Commission chairman Bimal Jalan said on the sidelines of an interaction with Calcutta Chamber of Commerce.

The government had constituted the commission through a resolution in September this year.

It will design a framework to improve the operational efficiency of expenditure through focus on utilisation, targets and outcomes.

The government has also asked the panel to suggest measures to achieve reduction in financial costs through a better cash management system, greater use of information technology tools for expenditure management and improved financial reporting systems.

"Why should ministers be involved in issuing coal blocks or telecom licences? It could be done by any agency," the former RBI governor said.

Jalan supported the auctioning method of allocation of minerals like coal.