Maharashtra government rolls out measures to prop up economy

Maharashtra government on Monday announced a slew of measures, including no launch of new schemes and near recruitment freeze, to prop up revenue and meet unavoidable expenditures like staff salaries and to carry out important functions.
The state has been under lockdown since March due to the coronavirus pandemic which forced industries and businesses to remain shut. Since one-and-a-half months industrial and business activities remained largely crippled in the state. 

The state's finance department on Monday issued a government resolution (GR) outlining a slew of measures mentioned below: 

• The government has asked various departments to not propose any new scheme in the ongoing fiscal.
• The state government will not be spending on any new scheme it had undertaken from the start of fiscal 2020-21, the GR said.
• The government has designated Public Health, Medical Education, Food and Civil Supplies and Relief & Rehabilitation as priority departments.
• All other departments are being barred from issuing new purchase orders or tenders, the GR said.
• "All departments are directed to not undertake any construction activity, except those required for pre-monsoon work," it said.
• Recruitment in all departments, except public health and medical education, has been stopped, the GR said.
• All transfers of officials have been suspended to save on expenditure incurred on them.
• All departments have been asked to return unspent money from their bank accounts to the state treasury before May 31, 2020.
• The GR said the state''s current financial condition is likely to remain for the next two to three months as it faces a challenge to revive the economy.
• "These measures are being taken as the decision to disburse salaries of March to state government employees in two instalments has not been enough, said the GR.