LAHORE: The Punjab Home Department has introduced a comprehensive set of new guidelines aimed at streamlining the submission, scrutiny and settlement of law and order-related claims, amid concerns over persistent delays, procedural violations and financial irregularities in claims submitted by district administrations.
In a directive issued to all deputy commissioners across the province, the department observed that claims relating to various events were frequently being forwarded after considerable delays and without adherence to prescribed procedures, hampering timely processing and creating administrative and financial complications.
The instructions were formulated on the directions of Standing Committee of the Cabinet on Law and Order (SCCLO) during its 52nd meeting held on May 8 and have been declared mandatory for implementation “in letter and spirit”.
Under the new framework, deputy commissioners have been directed to submit all law & order claims to the Internal Security Wing of Home Department within four weeks of the conclusion of an event. Claims submitted beyond the stipulated deadline will not be entertained unless prior permission is obtained from the Claims Review Committee (CRC).
The Home Department has also introduced revised expenditure proformas for claims, requiring them to be signed by the deputy commissioner concerned. District administrations have been instructed to clearly mention the commencement and conclusion dates of every event and provide detailed justifications for any expenditure incurred before or after the official event period.
To strengthen financial accountability, original bills and vouchers duly signed and stamped by deputy commissioners must accompany all claims. Although the original documents will be examined during the approval process, they will subsequently be returned to the relevant district administrations after clearance by SCCLO to facilitate audit requirements.
The new policy places direct responsibility on deputy commissioners for defending expenditure claims. They have been directed to personally present their cases before both the Claims Review Committee and SCCLO along with all supporting documentation.
Special provisions have also been introduced for internal security deployments. Deputy commissioners have been instructed to verify and forward deployment claims to the Home Department within three working days of receiving them, while copies of requisition letters authorising such deployments must be attached with every claim.
The Home Department has further directed district administrations to take prevailing market rates into account while hiring services and equipment, comparing costs with rates offered in other districts and previous procurements of similar nature. Officials have also been ordered to adopt strict expenditure rationalisation measures, including cost-sharing arrangements with stakeholders where feasible, to reduce pressure on the public exchequer.
To prevent discrepancies, the department has made it mandatory that amounts mentioned in covering letters exactly match figures reflected in original contingent bills. A formal verification mechanism has also been ordered to ensure re-examination of all claims before they are signed by deputy commissioners, with the objective of eliminating arithmetic mistakes and typographical errors.
The guidelines stipulate that claims relating to a particular financial year must be submitted and processed within the same financial year. District administrations have additionally been instructed to clearly specify cost centres, drawing and disbursing officer (DDO) codes, heads of account, grant details, branch codes and account numbers in every submission.
The Home Department has prohibited the consolidation of claims relating to multiple events, directing that each event must be documented and submitted separately.
To strengthening fiscal oversight, the department has also conveyed directions issued by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, requiring all deputy commissioners to prepare an anticipated “Schedule of Expenditure” before undertaking law and order arrangements. The projected expenditure estimates must be verified locally, compared with claims from similar events held previously and submitted to the Internal Security Wing for record and scrutiny.
According to the directive, future billing and reimbursement requests will be assessed against these pre-approved expenditure schedules, enabling authorities to evaluate the reasonableness of claimed expenses and detect any unusual cost escalations.
The Home Department has instructed all district administrations to accord the new directions the “highest priority” and ensure strict compliance without exception. The revised expenditure proforma attached with the notification requires districts to provide itemised details of expenditures incurred on transportation, security gadgets, electrical equipment, CCTV surveillance systems, tentage, catering and food arrangements. Officials have also been directed to maintain photographic records of events and arrangements for future reference and verification.
The notification forms part of the provincial government’s broader effort to tighten financial controls, improve transparency in law & order spending and ensure more efficient utilisation of public resources.
