CHAPTER XVIl

Projects costing over rupees one crore

1701. Completion- Estimates.--In the case of Railway Projects costing over rupees one crore, the Construction or Abstract Estimate should be closed at the end of one of the first three financial half years after the date of "opening" (as defined in para 1702) as may be convenient and a "completion estimate" prepared (see paragraph 713). The completion estimate is a "stock taking estimate". and all works not started on that date are excluded from the scope of the project and are to be dealt with separately The financial half year ir. which the project is opened should be excluded for determining the date. of closing of project estimate and preparation of completion estimate. The completion estimates should invariably be signed by or on behalf of the Financial Adviser and Chief Accounts Officer, and by or on behalf of competent executive authority. if this is sanctioned at Railway's level, the sanctioning authority's designation should be indicated.

1702. The date of "opening" in the case of new line should be held to be the date of opening for passenger traffic of the whole line included in a construction estimate. If different sections of a project Are likely to be opened at intervals exceeding one year separate completion estimate should be submitted for each section. In the case of lines justified solely for the movement of goods traffic for e.g., ore traffic the date of" opening" shall be the date on which the line is opened to goods traffic. In the case of open fine projects the date of "opening" should be held to be the date on which the project fulfils the purpose for which it was sanctioned. In the case ot doubling or quadrupling of lines or provision of third line the purpose for which the project has been sanctioned will be deemed to have been fulfilled when the new line is opened for goods traffic.

1703. Completion estimates, which involve any material modifications (see paragraph 1109) in a project sanctioned by the Railway Board, or an excess over the estimate beyond the powers of sanction of the General Manager (vide paragraph 748) should, after verification by the Accounts Officer-be submitted for the sanctioned of the Railway Board. Completion estimates which involve no such modifications or excess may be sanctioned by the General Manager, the Railway Board being informed, when sanction has been accorded, an abstract of the completion estimate being at the same time forwarded for the information of the Railway Board. The completion estimate should reach the authority competent to sanction it, within four months, after the close, of !he financial half year upto which it shows actual expenditure.

1704. Closing the Accounts of a Project.--Those items of work which were in progress at the time of closing of Construction of Abstract estimate should be got completed and the accounts of the project should be closed as soon as possible. Executive Engineers in charge of project should therefore take prompt action to bring to account all charges and credits pertaining to the projects. They should before closing the accounts of a project, take steps to liquidate all outstanding liabilities, clear suspense balances, pay up all outstanding contractor's claims and dispose of all surplus stores and tools and plants returned from works. After all charges and credits relating to the project have been booked  in the accounts of the project a Completion Report of the project should be prepared.

1705. Project Completion Report. -Its compilation and object of submission. -The object of a Completion Report is to compare the cost of work actually constructed with those provided in the last sanctioned estimate. The completion report of a project duly verified by the Accounts Officer in accordance with para 1712, should be submitted to the Railway Board within 18 months after the end of the financial half year in which the completion estimate is submitted. It should state the expenditure in the same details as the abstract estimate sanctioned by the Railway Board and should indicate any material modifications thereto. In addition it may contain such other information as would in the opinion of the Railway Administration be of interest to the Railway Board.

1706. Form of Completion Report. -The Completion Report should be prepared in the following form and brief explanations should be furnished for: -

(i)            excess of not less than 10 per cent or Rs. 25,000 whichever is less over the estimated provision under each sub work;

(ii)            saving of not less than 20 per cent or Rs.1 lakh whichever is less, occurring under any sub-work.

Note. - The Divisional Superintendent/Deputy Chief Engineer concerned may be empowered by the General Managers to approve the completion reports of works within the General Managers competence in the works Registers if variations are within 5 per cent of the sanctioned estimate.

Form E. 1706

COMPLETION REPORT FOR THE WORK................

1707. Financial Prospects. - In the case of railway lines newly constructed the completion report should be accompanied by a comparative statement showing the financial prospects of the line as anticipated and as updated with reference to the completion cost. If at the time of preparation of completion report, the earnings upto that period have undergone radical changes from original anticipations, this factor should also be taken into account while working out the financial prospects.

 Works Costing Rupees One Crore and less

1708. Completion of Works. - In common with works costing over Rupees one crore, a work or scheme costing less than this amount should be considered as completed when it fulfils  the purpose for which it when sanctioned, was intended, and when there has been no expenditure thereon for three months thereafter. All outstandings debits and credits pertaining to a completed work should as a rule be adjusted in the account of the work within three months of the date of completion. The accounts of a completed work should be closed six months after the date of completion and a completion report of the work drawn.

1709. A completion report for works costing Rupees one crore and less should subject to the detailed instructions issued by the Railway Administration, be prepared in the same form as that for works costing over Rupees one crore. It should compare the actual expenditure incurred with the sanctioned amount and should give under each sub-work brief explanations of all excesses and savings of over 5 per cent or Rs.10,000 whichever is less. The authority sanctioning the estimate `may prescribe any additional information to be submitted alongwith the completion report.

1710. A certificate to the effect that necessary agenda or corrigendato the list of Buildings have been issued (see paragraph 1977) should be recorded on all completion reports for staff quarters and other buildings. A certificate to the effect that the necessary entries have been made in the siding register (Form E. 1840) and the register of deposit works (Form E. 1852) should be recorded on all completion reports relating to assisted sidings and deposit works.

1711. A Completion report duly verified by the Accounts Officer should ordinarily be submitted to the authority who accorded the administrative approval to the work for information or regularization. in respect of structural and track renewal works costing over Rupees ten lakhs included ifi the sanctioned budget with the prior approval of the Railway Board and works sanctioned out of turn with the administrative, approval of the Railway Board being beyond the General Managers' powers of sanction the completion reports may be finally dealt with by the General Managers except (a) when they involved an excess beyond the General Manager's powers of sanction or (b) when a material modification is involved. For works costing rupees one crore and less the completion report should be submitted within six months of' the completion of work. In the case of works on which no expenditure is recorded for three consecutive months, the Accounts Officer should call for the completion reports. if the works are incomplete the executive officer should advise the Accounts Officer of the probable dates of completion and submission of of the completion reports. Abnormal delay in the submission of reports by the executive officers should be brought to the notice of the Head of the Railway Administration by the Accounts Officer.

1712. Accounts Verification of Completion Reports. -Completion Reports should be checked in the Accounts Office to see that they have been prepared in the proper form and that the entries therein correspond with the particulars of the sanction and booked outlay. Special Attention should be devoted to the following points.

• (a) Checking the correctness of postings of aII final bills relating to a work in the account of the work;

• (b) test-checking the correctness of a percentage of other items

• (c) seeing that satisfactory explanations are forthcoming for excesses and savings in the account;

• (d) seeing that all materials charged to the work or works; but. not used up, have been returned to stores or transferred elsewhere and. the account of the work credited with their value;

• (e) seeing that credit for the released materials. provided for in the estimate has been adjusted against the work concerned.

All completion reports should be "verified" by the Accounts Officer as correct. The verification certificate of the Accounts Officer should state the authority competent to sanction the outlay shown in the report.

1713 Completion Reports of Unfinished Works.-If for any reason a work on which expenditure has been incurred is stopped, and if there is no reasonable prospect of completing it in near future, the account of the work should, as in the case of a completed work, be closed and a completion report drawn and submitted to the authority which accorded the administrative approval to the work, for information. In the case of structural works, other than Track Renewal works, costing more than Rupees one crore each for which administrative approval of the Railway Board is obtained by the submission of separate Abstract Estimates not withstanding their specific inclusion  in sanctioned budget, the completion reports in such case should be submitted to the Railway Board, duly verified by the Financial Adviser and Chief Accounts Officer.

1714. Completion Statements As a general rule, completion report should be submitted in respect of each completed work. Nevertheless, in the case of works the expenditure on which is within the competence of the head of the railway to sanction a formal completion report on the prescribed form need not be prepared. In such cases all the information required in the Completion Report Form, the certificate of the Accounts Officer and the sanction of the competent executive authority may be recorded in the register of works under the relevant accounts, Completion Statements (Form E. 1714) showing the following information being prepared and recorded under the orders of the competent executive authority, after verification by the Accounts Officer :-

• (i) Reference to estimate.

• (ii) Amount of sanctioned estimate.

• (iii) Actual expenditure as finally booked.

• (iv) Brief explanation of excess or saving.

Note.-The provisions of this paragraph do not apply to works, for which detailed estimates are not required to be prepared.

1715. Expeditious Closing of Accounts of Works.-The account of a work costing rupees one crore and less should not kept open beyond three months of the date of its completion. Efforts should be made to bring to account ail liabilities and credits pertaining to the work by liquidating the former and realising the latter within that period. If a contractor's claim could not be finally settled within that period (cf. paragraph 1704) whatever the railway considers as legitimately due to the contractors should be adjusted by debit to the work and credit to "Deposit" and the account of the work finally closed. If the disposal of released materials is likely to delay the closing of the account of a work, credit should be afforded to work on the basis of estimates by the Stores Department in consultation with the Engineer. Should the actual payment made or credit realised differ from that already booked, such difference should be dealt with in accordance with paragraph 1717 and 1718 below.

1716. Entry in the Register of Works.-When a work is completed and its accounts closed a double red ink line should be ruled below the last entry in the Register of Works and a note made as under :

Work completed.

Completion report submitted on............................................................................. .......................

General Rules Applicable to all Works

1717. Adjustment of Charges and Credits Relating to Completed Works.(1) If charges or credits are received for a work, the account of which has been closed, but the completion report of which has not yet been sanctioned, the account of the work should be reopened and necessary postings should be made in the Works Register against the work concerned. A revised completion report should then be prepared and submitted to the competent authority.

(2) If the charges or credits are received for a work the completion report of which has been sanctioned

• (a) Except in the case of land, charges not exceeding Rs.10,000 should be adjusted against the appropriate head of account under ordinary Revenue Maintenance and credits not exceeding Rs.10,000 against Abstract Z-650.

• (b) When the charge or credits exceeds Rs.10,000 or relate to land, the account of the work should be reopened and the necessary adjustments made thereunder the completion report should also be revised accordingly.

(3) In cases where the accounts of works are closed after affording estimated credit for released materials as provided in paragraph 1715 the difference between the credits so afforded and the amounts actually realised subsequently on the final disposal of such materials should not be forced into the accounts of the works by reopening them. Subsequent depreciation or appreciation. of the materials should be dealt with in the same way as fluctuations in the price of stock item.

1718. In applying the rules in the preceding paragraph care should be taken to see that:-

• (i) In the case of residential buildings the total cost of the building is correctly noted in the list of buildings; and

• (ii) In the case of deposit works, the actual amount spent on the work is recovered from the party for whom the work is executed, even though an adjustment is not made either in the Register of Works or in the Completion Report.

1719. Completion Report for "Land".--if, in the case of any project, there is likelihood of delay in regard to the final adjustment of charges on account of land acquisition owing to its being outside the control of railway administrations the Completion Report may be submitted in two parts, viz., one showing all expenditure on the project excluding" Land" and the other dealing with "Land". For purposes of allocation and for determining the authority competent to sanction expenditure both the parts should be treated as one Completion Report.

1720. The investment cost of all projects including buildings costing over Rs.20 lakhs should be docketed in an Assets Register, irrespective of the fact whether the project concerned is proposed to be subjected to a post project appraisal or not in form E-1720, to facilitate retrieval of information and to conduct post project appraisal if required. The information will be posted from sanctioned completion reports. When the project is executed by the Construction Organisation, the Register will be handed over as a part of the handing over records to Open Line Organisation for retention as permanent record.

Further, in the case of buildings, the information will be docketed in the Building Register in form E. 1977- For all works other than buildings and costing less than Rs.20 takhs the sanctioned completion  reports and completion estimate should be preserved for five years. The Completion Reports of other works need not be Preserved, once the information is docketed in the Assets Register or Building Register.  

Form E. 1720

ASSETS REGISTER

1.         Name of work

2.         Date of commencement

3.         Date of completion

4.            Completion report No. and date.

5.            Authority sanctioning the completion report.

6.            Completion cost.

 Note-The completion cost will indicate the break-up of cost sub-work/sub-estimatewise. Total.

7.                  Investment Schedule 

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Accounts officer                                                             Divisional Engineer

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