Hyderabad: Chief Advisor Somesh Kumar task cut out

Hyderabad : The newly appointed Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s Chief Advisor Somesh Kumar has been given a big task of the financial management of the state government in the crucial election year. The former Chief Secretary is set to play a key role in the mobilisation of financial resources to the state government which is already struggling to meet the fund requirement to implement the ongoing schemes like Ryuthu Bandhu, Dalit Bandhu, Rs 3-lakh incentive to the poor under Gruha Lakshmi and the payment of monthly salaries and Aasara pensions to the beneficiaries promptly.

The Chief Minister instructed the Chief Advisor to come out with a plan of action to the management of available financial resources and how to mobilise additional funds to meet the requirements from this month, according to sources.

“The six-month period between May and December is crucial for KCR as the state is bracing for assembly elections in October or November this year. The state is already struggling for funds from April - the first month of the 2023-2024 financial year. The Government could not pay the salaries of the employees in time in April. The disbursement of salaries of outsourcing staff working in various wings, including CMO, was pending for more than 6 months,” said a source.

The current precarious financial situation may go into deep trouble if things are not set in the right direction from May. The former Chief Secretary, who has enough skills and abundance of experience in handing the state finances, had met the revenue requirement from time to time during his stint as head of the state administration between 2019 and till January this year. Somesh Kumar also held the full additional charge of the Commercial Taxes and Excise and Prohibition and took several important decisions to increase the revenues and plugged the loopholes in the mismanagement of funds at district level.

Officials said that the new Chief Advisor will make proposals on increasing revenues and requirement of funds every month and submit it to the Chief Minister. The CM will hold meetings with revenue generating wings and finalise action plans to fulfill the revenue targets. “The major task before the Chief Advisor is to ensure the government runs the administration and implement all schemes without any fund crisis till the elections are over,” a senior official said.