Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare Orders : Financial guidelines for extension of ECHS facilities to Nepal Domiciled Gorkha (NDG) ESM pensioners in Nepal

Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare Orders : Financial guidelines for extension of ECHS facilities to Nepal Domiciled Gorkha (NDG) ESM pensioners in Nepal

No.25 (02)/2012/(WE)/D (Res)
Government of India
Ministry of Defence
(Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare)

New Delhi, the 10th September, 2013

To,
The Chief of the Army Staff
The Chief of the Naval Staff
The Chief of the Air Staff

Subject:- Financial guidelines for extension of ECHS facilities to Nepal Domiciled Gorkha (NDG) ESM pensioners in Nepal.

Sir,
1. In continuation of this Ministry’s letter No. 22D(48)/2006/ US(WE)/D (Res) dated 07th February, 2012, I am directed to convey sanction of the Competent Authority on financial management of ECHS at Embassy of India, Nepal as follows.

2. Procedure of Fund Management for ECHS in Nepal

(a) ECHS Branch to open a Current Account with SBI in Nepal (ECHS Account).

(b) Central Organisation ECHS to allot funds to ECHS Branch, Kathmandu, Nepal under intimation to Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA) (CC), Lucknow.

(c) Based on allotment, ECHS Branch to intimate requirement of funds to PCDA (CC), Lucknow on a quarterly basis/ on as required basis .

(d) PCDA (CC), Lucknow to remit funds directly to ECHS Branch bank account through SWIFT.

(e) Assistant Military Attaché (ECHS), Embassy• of India, Kathmandu, Nepal to act as Drawing and Disbursement Officer (DDO).

(f) Manual bills of Empanelled Hospitals and individual bills of ECHS beneficiaries to be routed through Lucknow Sub-Area as per the existing procedure.

(g) On-line billing when established in Nepal, will follow the same procedure as followed by other Regional Centres of ECHS which are ‘On-line’ for billing.

(h) Till the time manual billing is in vogue, 50% payment of hospitals / individual reimbursement claim will be done on submission of the bill and bills will be forwarded to PCDA (CC) Lucknow with the sanction of appropriate authority and endorsement on the bill regarding advance paid for pre audit & payment.

(j) At the end of month, all payment vouchers except the bills/vouchers already forwarded to PCDA (CC) Lucknow for pre audit 8s payment and a detailed list duly indicating the advances paid by the DDO along with Cash Book, will be forwarded by ECHS Branch to PCDA (CC) Lucknow for booking of expenditure and post audit.

3. Delegation of Financial Powers in Indian Rupees.
(a) Payment and Re-imbursement for Medical Treatment (Manual Billing).

(i)   Defence Attaché – Upto Rs 1 Lakh. (Above Rs 1 Lakh to be processed through Lucknow Sub-Area as per the existing procedure.)

(ii)  Area Commander UB Area -Upto Rs. 2 Lakh.
(iii) Army Commander Central Command – Upto Rs 4 Lakh.
(iv) Vice Chief of Army staff – Upto Rs 5 Lakh.
(v) MoD – Bills Above Rs. 5 Lakh.

(b) Payment and Re-imbursement for Medical Treatment (Online-Billing).

(i)  Defence Attaché – Upto Rs 1 Lakh.
(ii) Deputy MD ECHS – Above Rs 1 lakh upto Rs. 3 Lakh.
(iii) MD ECHS – Above Rs 3 lakh upto Rs. 5 Lakh.
(iv) MoD – Above Rs. 5 Lakh.

(c) For other Heads of Expenditure of ECHS. The financial powers currently being exercised in the mission will be applicable.

(d) Defense Attaché is authorised to exercise Category II powers for all ECHS related activities in Nepal.

4. Supply of Medical Stores. SEMO Command Hospital (CH), Central Command (CC) will be responsible to procure and provide medical stores to Polyclinics at Kathmandu and Pokhara. Medical stores for Polyclinic Dharan will be provided by 158 Base Hospital, Bengdubi. Polyclinics will forward their MMF through ECHS Branch, Kathmandu to SEMO, Command Hospital, Lucknow on a quarterly basis. However, the financial powers delegated to Defence Attache will be exercised for all emergent procurements which are beyond the powers of Officer in charge Polyclinics.

5. This letter issues with the concurrence of Ministry of Defence (Finance) vide their U.0 No. 2226/F/Pen dated 2nd September 2013.

Yours faithfully,
sd/-
(H.K. Mallick)
Under Secretary to the Govt. of India

Source: www.desw.gov.in
[http://www.desw.gov.in/sites/upload_files/desw/files/pdf/echs-order-10-sep-2013_2.pdf]