HP officials making govt pay for clubs’ membership fee

SHIMLA: Even as the Himachal government public sector undertaking is at loss, a few officials are enjoying services of clubs at the cost of the government exchequer. The government will now look into the membership given by various clubs to its officials.

Recently, it came to light that some of the boards and corporations were paying for the membership fee of its officials "It has been noticed that in a few cases, the clubs' membership fee of the members is being borne by the corporations," said a senior government functionary, who wished not to be named.

Under the government rules, the officials can get e-membership of clubs, but they have to pay the fee and bills from their pockets.

"The matter is being looked into," chief secretary VC Pharkha told Hindustan Times.

Sources said the matter pertaining to the membership bills being paid from the government expenses could be taken up at the cabinet as some of the boards and corporations have prepared a cabinet memo, recommending cancellation of such memberships. The cabinet meeting that was scheduled for July 7, but been postponed to July 8, owing to gazetted holiday on July 7 on account of Eid.

The state government, time and again, has been thinking to check the wasteful expenditure, but has not been able to do a little on front to control expenses. The government report released, this year, revealed that the cumulative losses of the state government public sector undertaking had touched `3,167 crore.

In 2010, following recommendations of the 13th finance commission, the government had constituted a task force to design suitable strategy and policy and to oversee the process of restructuring of state PSUs. Simultaneously, a standing committee was constituted to implement the decisions of the taskforce submitted to the government through its regular reports. But nothing concrete happened.