Appendix 3 — GFR

APPENDIX - 3 [See Rule 52] INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF DETAILED ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FROM THE CONSOLIDATED FUND 1. For purpose of Budget Estimates, expenditure from the Consolidated Fund –with the merger of Plan and Non- Plan from Budget 2017-18 will comprise of expenditure on revenue account and on capital account including loans and advances, and shown in the separate categories as applicable, comprising of I. Central Expenditure:

(i) Secretariat Expenditure;

(ii) Central Sector Schemes and

(iii) Other Central Expenditure and II. Transfers:

(i) Centrally Sponsored Schemes

(ii) Finance Commission Transfers and

(iii) Other Transfers. A. GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING EXPENDITURE ESTIMATES 2. To facilitate appropriate scrutiny and consolidation of Expenditure Estimates for reporting to the Ministry of Finance, the Financial Adviser in each Ministry / Department will obtain detailed estimates and other supporting data from each of the estimating authorities under the control of the Ministry / Department, in appropriate forms, sufficiently in advance. 3. The framing of the Revised Estimates for the current year should always precede estimation for the ensuing year. The Revised Estimates should be framed with great care to include only those items which are likely to materialize for payment during the current year, in the light of

(i) actuals so far recorded during the current year, compared with the actuals for corresponding period of the last and previous years,

(ii) seasonal character or otherwise of the nature of expenditure,

(iii) sanctions for expenditure and orders of appropriation or re- appropriation already issued or contemplated and

(iv) any other relevant factor, decision or development. The Budget Estimate for the ensuing year should likewise be prepared on the basis of what is expected to be paid, under proper sanction, during the ensuring year, including arrears of previous years, if any. Due attention to considerations of economy must be paid and while all inescapable and foreseeable expenditures should be provided for, care should be taken that the estimate is not influenced by undue optimism. 4. No lump sum provision will be made in the Budget except where urgent measures are to be provided for meeting emergent situations or for meeting preliminary expenses on a project/scheme which has been accepted in principle for being taken up in the financial year. In latter cases Budget provision will be limited to the requirements of preliminary expenses and for such initial outlay, as, for example, on collection of material, recruitment of skeleton staff, etc. Provision for a 'token' demand should not be made in the Budget Estimates for the purpose of seeking approval in principle for big schemes without the full financial implications being worked out and got approved by the appropriate authorities. In accordance with instructions contained in Paragraph

(viii) of Appendix (5), a 'token' demand can be made during the course of a year for a project / scheme when the details thereof are ready and funds are also available for undertaking it but it cannot be started without Parliament's approval, it being in the nature of a 'New Service/New Instrument of Services'. 5. All estimates should be prepared on gross basis and 'voted' and 'charged' portions must be shown separately; even expenditure met partly or fully from receipts taken in reduction of such expenditure or those counterbalanced by receipts credited as revenue to the Consolidated Fund, must be reported in such estimates on gross basis. Care should also be taken to ensure that all notional receipts reported in 'Receipt Estimates' (such as interest receipts fully or partly subsidized, loan repayment receipts partly or fully refinanced through further loans or conversions into equity, receipts of foreign grant assistance in the form of commodities or material, etc.) are properly matched by adequate provisions in expenditure estimates. 6. The estimates of expenditure should include all items which are fully accounted for in the accounts of the Ministry/Departments to which the estimating authority is subordinate; they shall also cover expenditure, if any, in Union Territories without Legislature, whether provided for in the demands of the said Ministry / Department or in the 'Area' demand of the concerned Union Territory. Estimates of 'Works Expenditure', if any, against the provisions in the demands of the Ministry of Urban Development, as well as expenditure on pensions (including commutation payments, gratuity payments, pension contributions, etc.) interest payments, loans and advances to Government servants, etc., which are provided for in the centralized Grants/Appropriations controlled by the Ministry of Finance should be furnished to the Ministry of Urban Development and the Ministry of Finance. 7. The estimate of establishment charges should be framed taking into account the trends over preceding three years and other relevant factors like changes in rates of pay, allowances, number of posts and their filling and the economy instructions issued by the Ministry of Finance from time to time. 8. Expenditure estimates will be prepared with full accounts classification, i.e., Major/Sub-Major Head, Minor

Head, Sub-Head, Detailed Head and Object Head of Account. The correctness of accounts classification must be ensured by the Principal Chief Controller / Chief Controller/ Controller of Accounts in each case. Doubts, if any, may be clarified beforehand in consultation with the Ministry of Finance, Budget Division and Controller General of Accounts. The relevant Grant number and title of Appropriation should also be mentioned to facilitate identification of the provision in Budget Estimates for the current year. 9. Unless otherwise indicated by the Ministry of Finance, estimates (both Revised Estimates for the current year and Budget Estimates for the ensuing year) should reach the Ministry of Finance, Department of Economic Affairs, Budget Division, by the date prescribed by the Ministry of Finance, each year, in triplicate in Form GFR 4, a separate form being used for each Major Head of Account. 10. To facilitate appreciation and scrutiny of the estimates, any major variations between the Budget and Revised Estimates for the current year and also between the Revised Estimates for the current year and Budget Estimates for the ensuing year should be explained cogently. In particular, all provisions for subsidy, capital investment or loan to a Public Sector Undertaking, must be explained by indicating their purpose and the extent to which they are intended to cover losses, working capital needs, debt or interest liabilities of the undertaking. 11. Wherever the proposed estimates attract the limitations of 'New Service/New Instrument of Service', the fact must be specifically highlighted. The guidelines to be followed in this regard are indicated in Annexure - I to this Appendix. For all 'new' schemes, other than purely 'works' projects, the estimates proposed should be supported by details set out in Annexure - II to this Appendix. In the case of provisions of 'Grants-in-aid' to non- Government entities, the full purpose thereof and the nature of the grants, whether recurring or non- recurring, should also be indicated. 12. All provisions for transfer of Government assets to Public Sector Undertaking and other non-Government entities must also be highlighted, indicating whether the transfer is by way of grants or by way of equity investment or loan. Similarly, in the case of nationalization or take-over of any private sector assets, the related provisions in estimates must be supported by full details, such as the effective date of take-over, the agreed compensation amount and the manner of its payment, etc. In cases of takeover, where the assets are simultaneously transferred to a Public Sector Undertaking, it must be ensured that the estimates provide for

(i) payment of compensation for the take-over,

(ii) for transfer of assets to the Public Sector Undertaking, by means of recovery of compensation payment to be taken in reduction of expenditure, and

(iii) provisions for equity or loan to the Public Sector Undertaking. B. SCHEME RELATED EXPENDITURE ESTIMATES 13. The Budget Division through the yearly Budget Circular will prescribe the form and the manner in which proposals are required to be submitted to them for determining the scheme allocations,(both Central Sector Schemes and Centrally Sponsored Schemes) for the ensuing year. The Financial Adviser in each Ministry / Department of the Central Government will accordingly call for requisite data from the estimating authorities, public sector and other enterprises under the control of the Ministry / Department, etc. The approved allocations for Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes will be communicated by the Ministry of Finance to the Central Ministries / Department. Ministries/ Departments will finalize the Statement of Budget Estimates, indicating the total outlay approved for each scheme / organization and the extent to which it is to be met from extra-budget resources and from provisions in the Demands for Grants. 14. Subject to such directions as may be issued by the Ministry of Finance from time to time, the Revised Estimates for the current year and Budget Estimates of the ensuing year, in respect of Scheme provisions, are to be sent to the Ministry of Finance in Form GFR 7. For furnishing these estimates, instructions for preparation and submission of Other than scheme Expenditure Estimates will apply to the extent relevant; in addition, the following points should also be borne in mind :-

(i) Such part of the approved budgetary support for Scheme outlay as relates to 'works expenditure' and has been accepted by the Ministry of Urban Development for inclusion in their Demands for Grants should be excluded by the other Ministries / Departments in reporting the estimates to the Ministry of Finance in Form GFR 4.

(ii) In the case of, provisions for equity investments and loans to public sector and other enterprises, as well as those for grants-in-aid, specific schemes, for which the outlay is provided and the extent for each of them is also to be indicated clearly.

(iii) Provisions for Scheme expenditure on Central Sector Schemes and Centrally Sponsored Schemes, including such expenditures in Union Territories, are to be included in the relevant demand of the Administrative Ministry/ Department and not in 'Area' Demand of the concerned Union Territory.

1 2 3 1. Machinery & Equipment; 2. ICT Equipment; 3. Building and Structure; 4. Infrastructural Assets; 5. Arms and Ammunitions; and 6. Land New Instrument of Service (NIS) 3. The financial limits for the ‘New Instrument of Service’ shall be as under: 1. Investment; 2. Loans and advances; 3. Subsidies; 4. Machinery and equipment; 5. ICT Equipment; 6. Building and Structures; 7. Infrastructure assets; 8. Arms and ammunitions 9. Land; 10. GIA Capex; 11. GIA General; 12. GIA Salary All other Object Heads Each case to be decided on merits (see para 2 & 3 of the OM No. 1(22)-B(AC)/2022 dated 23.02.2024) * refers to the 15-digit numeric code in respect of civil Ministries or final unit of appropriation available in the Detailed Demand for Grants in respect of non-civil Ministries