Central Government Holiday Homes: Bank Draft in favour of Booking Authority irrespective of place of Holiday Home

Directorate of Estates, Ministry of Urban Development has observed that the present practice of drawing Demand Draft or Pay order in favour of authority at the place of holiday home viz., Shimla , Agra etc., while booking made through various booking authorities, causes much delay due to transfer of demand draft / pay order from the booking authority to authority at the place of holiday home after confirmation of booking to encash the same.

Now, Directorate Estates has come up with a new procedure. Central Government Employees who are booking for a holiday home has to take Demand Draft or Pay order in favour of booking authority only irrespect of place of Holiday home.

The detailed Office Memorandum No. D-11028/23/82-Regions (Vol.II) dated 17.01.2013 issued by Directorate of Estates in this issue is given below

File No. D-11028/23/82-Regions (Vol.II)

Government India

Ministry of Urban Development

Directorate of Estates

Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi

Dated 17/01/2013

Office Memorandum

Subject: Acceptance and depositing of Bank Draft/Pay Order in the Government account on account of booking charges of holiday homes by different Booking Authorities.

Booking of rooms/suits of holiday home at Shimla, Agra, etc. is made by different booking authorities (i.e. EM, Kolkata’ AEM’ Chennai and AEM, Nagpur) but demand draft / pay order is received in the name of Assistant Estate Manager, Shimla or Assistant Director of Estates (Cash), New Delhi as the case may be. After confirmation of booking of holiday home, the demand draft/pay order received by the aforesaid booking authorities is then sent to AEM, Shimla or Assistant Director of Estates (Regions), New Delhi for deposit in the Government account. Such practice takes considerable time in actual realisation of revenue to the Government.

2. Recently, RBI has reduced the validity period of Bank Draft/Pay Order/Cheque from six months to three months. After reducing the validity period of draft / pay order / cheque by RBI, it has now become more difficult to realise the revenue suitably through the practice being adopted as mentioned at first para above. .

3. It has now been decided with the approval of Directorate of Estates that following change in respect of above matter would come into effect with immediate effect:

(i) EM/AEM, Kolkata; AEM, Chennai and AEM, Nagpur will accept the bank draft/pay order towards booking charges of holiday homes / guest houses in favour of the concerned booking authority itself who is looking after the booking and not in favour of other authorities and O/o concerned booking authority will itself deposit the booking charges in the Government account.
(ii) NIC will modify the online booking application form in respect of rooms / suits of holiday homes / guest houses at the disposal of EM / AEM, Kolkata; AEM, Chennai and AEM, Nagpur accordingly.

4. All prospective applicants are also advised to note the above changes and to ensure the correctness of bank draft / pay order in favour of appropriate authority. Failure to comply with the above changed norms will lead to rejection of booking request.

Sd/-

(N.S. Chauhan)

Assistant Director of Estates (Regions)

Download Office Memorandum No. D-11028/23/82-Regions (Vol.II) dated 17.01.2013 issued by Directorate of Estates