Vetting of Indents
Government of India
Ministry of Railways
(Railway Board)
No.2014/F(S)1/Misc./12
New Delhi, Dated 24-12-14
FA&CAOs
All Zonal Railways / Production Units
Subject : Vetting of Indents
Reference : Railway Board’s Letter No. 2000/F(S)lll/Misc./S) dated 09.01.2001
The issue of revision in the powers delegated to finance officers for vetting of indents vide letter under reference has been raised by various Zonal Railways and Production Units.
2. In supercession of Board’s letter under reference, enhanced delegation will be as under:
| Value- of Indents (in crore of Rs.) | Level of Finance officers |
| Up to 15 | JS/SS |
| Above 15 to 3 | JAG |
| Above 3 to 20 | SAG |
| Above 20 | CHOD/PHOD |
3. It should be ensured that there is no splitting of indents as the amounts mentioned above represent the aggregate value of each item per year. Calendar for submission of indents to Board may also be adhered to. The Finance officer while vetting the indents should certify the availability of funds and mention his name and designation dearly.
Kindly acknowledge receipt.
(Amitesh Kumar Sinha)
Director Finance (Stores)I
Railway Board
Click below link to view the Original order
Here’s a detailed overview of the process and delegation of powers for vetting indents (materials requisitions) in Indian Railways:
Contents
1. What Happens During Vetting
According to the Railway Hand Book on Internal Checks (Railway Accounts), indent vetting involves:
- Verifying if the same item was requisitioned recently.
- Logging the requisition into the system with an inward number.
- Ensuring the top sheet is fully completed with all necessary details.
- For regularly procured items, analyzing consumption over the past three years.
- For new or large-volume items, requiring justification via policy decisions or prior approvals.
- For “pink” (works) indents, providing references to sanctioned detailed estimates.
- Any missing detail leads to the indent being returned with remarks, approved by SR.DFM, via an office note.
Once approved, vetting is marked on the indent and estimate, logged in a register, and signed off by the Station Officer (SO) and SR.DFM.
2. Delegation of Finance Officer Authority (Based on Indent Value)
A Railway Board directive (dated Dec 24, 2014) updated the authority levels for indent vetting:
| Indent Value (₹ crore) | Finance Officer Level Authorized |
|---|---|
| Up to 15 | JS (Junior Scale) / SS (Senior Scale) |
| Above 15 up to 3 | JAG (Junior Administrative Grade) |
| Above 3 up to 20 | SAG (Senior Administrative Grade) |
| Above 20 | CHOD (Chief Head of Department) / PHOD |
- It’s essential to avoid splitting indents to bypass delegation limits.
- The vetting finance officer must certify fund availability, and record their name and designation.
3. Additional Scrutiny for High-Value Indents
As per Chapter V, Section 501 of the Store Department Code:
- Indents for central purchase or contracts (not for safety items) above ₹4 lakh—and ₹8 lakh for safety items—must be submitted to the Chief Accounts Officer (CAO) for prior scrutiny.
- The CAO must ensure checks on:
- Quantity appropriateness (compared to prior vetted levels).
- Correct purchase head and expenditure year coding.
- Appropriate signing authority is used.
- Rate analysis: verifying against unified price list/last purchase and examining large variances.
- Contract integrity: rate consistency, safeguarding clauses like liquidated damages.
Summary of the Vetting Flow
- Indent Raised by User Department → Submitted to Finance.
- Finance Vetting:
- Verifies past procurement, justification, fund availability.
- Records vetting on requisition and registers it.
- Approval per delegated powers (JS/SS → CHOD/PHOD).
- For High-Value Contracts:
- CAO reviews detailed scrutiny (quantities, rates, contract safeguards).
- Final Approval & Processing.
If you’d like, I can share flowcharts, sample vetting formats, or proper office note templates used in vetting. Just let me know—happy to help further!