Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Treasuries heading for crisis

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Treasuries Department, which handles the bulk of the money in the government coffers, is facing an unusual predicament owing to a scarcity in supply of some of its most elementary equipment and stationery.

As revealed by department officials during the social audit conducted by the Thiruvananthapuram District Treasury here recently, the decades-old dated metal seals used for authenticating stamp papers in many Sub-Treasuries in the State are worn out, making their impression almost incomprehensible.

Senior Treasuries Department officials say that the department is headed for an even more serious crisis due to the non-availability of cheque books.

A top official told The Hindu that within a month, the department would completely run out of cheque books.

“In a month we will have a crippling shortage of cheque books. It is really an alarming situation. Something needs to be done immediately,” the official said.

Apparently, it is the unavailability of watermark papers, used for printing cheque books, that has given rise to the present situation.

Although the Treasuries Department had written to the superintendent of the Government Press in January this year asking for its annual supply of cheque books, the latter had replied that it was not possible to immediately print cheque books due to the unavailability of watermark paper.

The department later brought the matter to the notice of the State government and also sent a proposal to the Finance Department for purchase of watermark paper. However, even after 11 months, no action has been taken.

“As the cheque books of Treasuries Department contain a number of security features, it cannot be reproduced anywhere else other than the Government Press. There is also a prescribed grams per square metre thickness for the treasuries cheque leaves,” the official said.

The scarcity of cheque books has come as a major blow to the department at a time when it is trying to popularise its Fixed Deposit and Treasury Savings Bank (TSB) account facility.

Lack of high-end fake note detectors is another issue troubling the department, especially at the four check-post treasuries in the State.

Treasuries Department Director E.K. Prakash had told the jury at the social audit that the fake note detectors currently available with the department could not detect bogus Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes.

He said the department had already initiated steps to purchase fake note detectors to be placed at vulnerable areas including check-post treasuries.

The department had suffered a loss of around Rs.25,000 due to fake notes at its sales tax check-post treasuries.

Mr. Prakash added that the department had also initiated steps for a massive replacement of stamp paper metal seals.

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