Indian Railway Codes and Manuals-Accounts Code-Chapter-3 (III)



                                         

                                                                    
                                                                       CHAPTER III

COMPILATION OF RAILWAY ACCOUNTS

301. Introduction. – In regard to the compilation of Accounts the duties of the Accounts Officers are ;- (i) to collect and bring to account all the receipts and disbursements of the railway, department, division, etc., to which he is attached,i.e , of his accounts circle; (ii) to transfer to other accounts circles the items pertaining to them which originate in his circle and to adjust in his books of account the items of expenditure or receipts pertaining to his own circle and transferred to him by other Accounts officers; (iii) to make up a detailed account of his accounts circle monthly; (iv) to make up a detailed account of his circle for each year and (v) to prepare relevant financial reports for management information and action. The various process by which the receipts and disbursements of an accounts circle are collected and brought to account are described in this and other departmental codes. Note: - (1) The detailed procedure relating the settlement of “Remittance Transactions” is laid down in chapter IV and V. (2) The compilation of monthly accounts is dealt with in this chapter and the compilation of the annual accounts in chapter VII.

302. Accounting transactions fall under two distinct headings, viz., (I) cash receipts and disbursements and (ii) book adjustments. The latter represent transactions either initially accounted for by another Accounts Officer-as in the case of transfer transactions – or adjustments between one accounting head and another, e. g., for issue of stores from a Stores Depot for revenue maintenance purposes etc. The initial record for a cash transaction will be a cash voucher or bill. For book adjustment, it is a journal slip. Cash transactions are rendered in the Cash book, while journal slips are entered in the journal. (Paragraph 303 refers)

GENERAL BOOKS AND SUBSIDIARY ACCOUNTS RECORDS

303. General Books. – For the purpose of collecting and bringing to account the transactions of his accounts circle and for compiling the monthly and annual accounts, the Accounts Officer should maintain certain essential records, which for brevity, are referred to in this code as the “General Books” of the railway which comprises:-

(1) The Daily Abstract of Cash Transactions or the General Cash book (Form No. A-304).

(2) The Monthly Classified Abstract of Cash Transactions or the General cash Book (Form No. A-306).

(3) The Journal (Form No. A-307).

(4) The Ledger (Form No. A-310).

These are explained in detail in the following paragraphs. Two sets of Journals and Ledgers should be maintained, one set for revenue Accounts and the other for capital Accounts, since separate accounts are maintained for these two classes of transactions. Only one Daily Abstract and Monthly Abstract of Cash Transactions need be maintained subsidiary to the Revenue Ledger. All cash transactions of capital nature (C. f. 204), should accordingly be allocated in the cash accounts of an open line to “Transfers, Railway Capital”, and the detailed allocation to Final and Suspense heads of such transactions chargeable to Capital”, D. R. F., D. F., A. C. F. and O. L. W. R., should be effected in the Capital Account by means of journal entries in the Capital Books, a per contra credit or debit being afforded to “Transfers, Railway entries in the Capital Books, a per contra credit or debit being afforded to “Transfers, Railway Revenue” (Vide Paragraph 404).

304. Daily Abstract of Cash Transactions or the General Cash Book:-This record is intended to bring to account all cash transactions taking. Place in the circle of the Accounts Officer: -

(i) It should be maintained in Form A-304 and posted daily as indicated in paragraph 305.

(ii) A voucher duly signed by an Accounts Officer should be forthcoming in support of every entry in it.

(iii) It should be balanced daily and the balance reconciled with that in the Cashier’s Cash Book (A-1917).

(iv) It should be checked and signed by the officer in-charge of the section. Form A.

305. Posting the General Cash Book (A-304) - The debit side of the General Cash Book will represent all cash received and should be posted from the following. :-

(a) In respect of station remittances from the Cash Check Sheets (A-1943).

(b) In regard to cheques drawn on the Banks-from the Requisition for cheques (A- 1111) one entry being made for the total amount of cheques drawn on each Bank for each day;

(c) In regard to miscellaneous cash receipts-from the counterfoils of the cash receipts granted. Separate entries should be made for each item of miscellaneous cash receipts;

(d) In regard to recoveries made from bills passed for payment-from the various credit heads of account as abstracted in form A-1109.

(e) In regard to unpaid amounts remitted by the Cashier-from lists of unpaid wages (A-1957). The credit side of the Cash Book (A-304) will represent cash payments and should be posted from the following :-

(a) In regard to remittances to Bank-from Bank Remittance Receipts (A-1942); and

(b) In regard to payments-from the various debit heads of account as abstracted in Form A1109.

306. The monthly classified Abstract of Cash Transactions or the General Cash Abstract Book.-This record (Form A-306) should be posted daily from the totals in the Daily Abstract of Cash Transactions (A-304). It should be kept in two parts, one part for receipts (debits) and the other for disbursements (credits). It should be totalled after the transactions of the last day of the month have been posted. The totals under the heads “Remittance into Banks” and “Cheques and Bills” should be reconciled with the statements received from banks vide paragraph 432. Form A-306

307. The Journal.-All transactions, which do not involve the actual receipt or disbursement of cash, should be recorded in the Journal (Form A-307). Each entry in the Journal should be supported by a journal slip or voucher (form A-308) duly signed by an Accounts Officer.

308. Journal Slips. - The Journal (A-307) should be posted from Journal Slips, (Form A-308) or from the original vouchers wherein should be endorsed the heads of accounts debited and credited as in a Journal slip. Journal Slips or entries should be prepared by the concerned section of the office and sent to the accounting or booking section for incorporation in the accounts. The Journal Slips or entries should bear separate series of numbers distinct from that for Cash vouchers. They should be filed in such a way as to permit of ready reference to any particular vouchers and to protect the voucher from being torn due to constant handling of the files.

Note:- Each Journal entry should be supported by a narration giving detailed reasons for making the adjustment and full particulars of the connected vouchers.

309. Totalling of the Journal.- Postings in the Journal (A-307) should be totaled up in good time before the date fixed for the submission of the monthly accounts. In the case of the Revenue Journal, the Cash Transactions of the month as abstracted in the Cash Abstract Book (A-306) should be added at the foot in the manner indicated in the form (A-307). The accuracy of posting the Journal (A-307) should be proved by drawing up a "Trial Balance" from the totals of debit and credit under each head of account in the Journal (A-307) after adding up the figures of cash transactions. The totals of the Trial Balance debits and credits should be compared and differences, if any, should be located and set right.

310. The Ledger.-The closing totals of the journal should be posted in the Ledger (A- 310) the various heads of account so that it records all receipts and charges of the accounting circle, under the various heads of account, and also shows the progressive balances under those heads, the end of each accounting period.

311. Subsidiary Accounts Records.-In addition to the General Books the following subsidiary records should be kept by each accounting circle:- (i) Registers of Earnings (A-313). (ii) Revenue Allocation Registers (A-312). (iii) Registers of Works (E-1473). (iv) Suspense Registers (A-320). (v) Register of works expenditure classified under Capital, Depreciation Reserve Fund, Development Fund, ''Revenue (Open Line Works-Revenue)'' and Accident Compensation, Safety and Passenger Amenities fund. Note: - Separate set of the above subsidiary registers should be maintained to record the expenditure met from the contingency Fund. These records are of the utmost importance in as much as they are designed to exhibit the details of the transactions under Revenue, Capital, Depreciation Reserve fund, Development fund, Revenue (Open line Works- Revenue,) Accident Compensation, Safety and Passenger Amenities Fund, and Suspense Heads duly analyzed under the prescribed detailed classification. These books should be posted directly from the Vouchers or from an allocated abstract or summary statement of a group of vouchers containing similar allocations immediately after they (the vouchers) have been passed in accounts. In cases where an allocated abstract (summary) is used for posting the subsidiary registers, these will be filed along with the group of vouchers which have been summarized therein. The rules relating to the maintenance of the Registers of Earnings and Suspense Registers are laid down in paragraphs 313 to 321.

312. Revenue Allocation Register.-The each Abstract of Revenue Expenditure under the major heads 346 and 347-Indian Railways-Working Expenses, as separate Allocation Register in Form A-312 should be maintained. In these Registers, the transactions should be posted separately for expenses, whether by cash payment or book adjustment, which are adjusted to the final heads (a) directly, and (b) through Demands Payable.

313 Register of Earnings.- for each Abstract of Revenue Earnings under the major head and 147 Indian Railways Revenue Receipts, a separate register (A.313) should be maintained in the Accounts Office. The Registers of Earnings should record the earnings of the Railway under all the detailed heads of classification prescribed in Volume II of the Indian Railway Financial Code. These registers may be kept in convenient parts to facilitate application of statistics of earnings.

314 Suspense. Registers. - These registers reflect transactions which cannot immediately be charged to final heads. Rules relating to the maintenance of detailed registers for recording the transactions pertaining to the suspense heads under "Stores" and "Workshop manufacture Suspense" are laid down in the departmental codes concerned. Rules relating to the maintenance of the following detailed registers for the heads of account operated in accounting sections and offices are prescribed in paragraphs 315 to 321. (i) Demands Payable Register. (ii) Miscellaneous Advances Register. (iii) F. Loans and Advances Register. (iv) Deposits Unpaid Wages Register. (v) Deposits miscellaneous Register.

315 Demands Payable Register.-Details in support of the debit to the head "Demands Payable" in the General Cash Abstract (A-306) should be recorded in a manuscript register (A-315) by sub-major heads of revenue classification. Before closing the Revenue Accounts for a month, the entries in this Register should be totalled up and the totals reconciled with the General Cash Abstract Book on the one hand and the "Cash totals" in the Revenue Allocation Registers on the other. A journal slip should then be prepared crediting the head "Demands Payable" and debiting the various Abstracts of the Revenue Accounts.

316 Deposits Unpaid Wages.-When bills are returned by the Pay Office to the Accounts Office there may be some unpaid items in them; the amount so unpaid will be returned by the Pay Office to the Cash Office accompanied by a statement in Form A-1959 giving necessary particulars. Of the items. The statements will be treated as cash vouchers to be exhibited as such in the receipt side of the Daily Abstract of Cash Transactions. The individual items of the statement will be trans cribbed into an Unpaid Wages Register in Form A.316 (same as A. 1959). All items of unpaid wages will, as a rule, be credited to "Deposit-Unpaid Wages" to be operated under Part III – Public Account, K-Deposits and advances. (b) Deposit not bearing interest, Major Heads – 8445. When a claim is subsequently received for any sum remaining unpaid, the same will be verified with the unpaid wages register and the fact of the subsequent payment of an amount will be noted against the entry of the relevant item in the column provided for the purpose. To obviate the possibility of a 2nd payment against the same item, this entry should be recorded under the initials of an Accounts officer or a Section officer (Accounts).

317 Where adequate arrangements exist which permit the unpaid wages statement (form A1959) received from the Pay Office being filed separately, these files may be used as the unpaid wages Register, thus obviating the maintenance of a separate Register for the purpose. In such cases, the statements must be filed sheet by sheet in a strong skeleton file, and the sheets numbered consecutively to facilitate detection of any missing sheets at any time

318. No pay order for payment from 'unpaid wages' should be drawn in the Accounts Office in respect of items under three months old, until it has been ascertained from the Pay Department that the amount has not already been disbursed by Cashier out of this imprest or floating cash. Payments made by the Cashier in respect of unpaid wages out of his imprest or floating cash should be checked as usual and the necessary entries should be made against the relevant items in the Unpaid Wages Register without delay.

319. (a) The amounts credited to “Deposit unpaid Wages” in terms of para 316 and remaining outstanding for want of payment on account of death of employees concerned or on

(b) The details of the adjustment as per sub-para (a) above should be advised in Form VI of the notification (specimen enclosed) to the Chairman Staff Benefit Fund Committee of the Zonal Railways/Units etc. concerned. The amounts deposited with the Chairman S.B.E. under sub-para 319 (a) shall remain with the Chairman of the Fund for four years.

(c) As soon as possible, the Railway Administration will publish in any two newspapers circulating in the language commonly understood in the area in which the factory or the establishment in which the undisbursed wages earned is situated and will exhibit them on notice board of the factory or establishment.

(d) The Chairman Staff Benefit Fund Committee concerned shall release the money to the nominee or to that person who has claimed to this money and which has been decided by the competent authority/court. The amount deposited as above shall be applied by the Chairman of the Staff Benefit Fund to meet the expenditure for the purpose prescribed for Staff Benefit Fund.

(e) The family member/dependent relative of employed person to make claims – the spouse or children and where the employed person does not have spouse or children, the dependent relative can make claims of the amount at any time with seven years during which time the wages remain with the paymaster for a period of first three years, as specified in rule (a) above and then credited to the Staff Benefit Fund. In such cases, only the principal amount as remaining with the paymaster or deposited by the paymaster with the Chairman Staff Benefit Fund Committee shall be payable to the claimant.

 

320. Other Suspense Registers .-Separate registers for Miscellaneous Advances (Capital), Miscellaneous Advances (Revenue), Loans and Advances to Government servants and Deposits Miscellaneous should be maintained in Form A-320. All entries in these registers should be posted in sufficient detail from the original documents. These registers should be reviewed frequently by an Accounts Officer and the early clearance of all items placed under suspense insisted upon. No item posted in a suspense register should remain unadjusted longer than is absolutely necessary. It is left to the Accounts Officer to decide whether these registers should be maintained in one section of the office or in the various accounting sections. In any case, a monthly reconciliation of the debits, credits and balances of these accounts with the laid down in Chapter VI.

321 Deposits Miscellaneous – Unpaid items other than unpaid wages of Railway staff amounting to more than Rs. 100 each should be allowed to remain in the Register of Deposits of the Railway for a period of three years, or until it is practically certain that no further claims for payment will be made. The sums may then with the personal approval of the Financial Adviser & Chief Accounts Officer be credited to the detailed head “Miscellaneous receipts” or “Traffic Accounts” according as they relate to works or Revenue transactions.

322. Closing the General Books. – The compiled accounts of a railway should, as a rule, be submitted so as to reach the Railway Board on the 6th of the second month following that to which the accounts relate. The accounts for the month of June, September and December should be closed completely in all respects in the same manner in which accounts for March are closed. The accounts for June, September and December should be submitted so as to reach the Office of the Railway Board not later than the 16th of August, November, and February respectively. The additional time allowed for closing of accounts for these months should be utilised for the complete reconciliation and final adjustment of outstanding transfer transactions and other book adjustments. The accounts for the month of March mat be submitted so as to reach the Board by the 31st July, or an earlier date as fixed by the Railway Board. The General Books of the Railway should, therefore, be closed every month in good time for the compilation of the Monthly/Annual Accounts. The various subsidiary registers should be totalled up and reconciled with the General Books within a week of the submission of the Accounts. The certificate of reconciliation should be recorded each month in the subsidiary registers under the signature of an Accounts Officer.

ACCOUNTS CURRENT

323. Compilation of Capital and Revenue Accounts Current.- After the General Books for a month have been closed and the Ledger (A-310) has been written up, the monthly Accounts Current (see next para) should be prepared, separately for Capital and Revenue transactions from the Ledger and submitted to the Railway Board together with the prescribed supporting schedules. A separate Accounts Current should be prepared for expenditure of a New Construction when the accounts are maintained by a separate accounts organization. When the accounts of expenditure on Construction are maintained by the Financial Adviser and Chief Accounts Officer of an Open Line Administration, separate Accounts Current is not necessary, but separate Schedules of expenditure on such Constructions should be prepared (see para 330). The monthly accounts of the Divisions/Workshops should be submitted by the Divisional/Workshop Accounts Officer to the Financial Adviser and Chief Accounts Officer by the last day of the following month or on such other day, as may be fixed by him so as to enable him to compile the accounts of the entire railway and submit them in time to the Railway Board. When, in exceptional cases, the accounts cannot, in due course, be sent so as to reach the Railway Board on the prescribed date, the fact should be reported immediately to the Board with an explanation of the cause of the delay stating when the accounts may be expected.

324. Accounts Current. –An Account Current is simply a statement showing the receipts and disbursements of an accounts circle, duly classified under the prescribed heads of account (see Appendices XI and XII). The principle on which the Account Current is prepared is that all entries should be shown net, i. e., after deduction of the write back adjustments, against each head of account. On no account should minus results be transferred as plus result to the opposite side of the account. The column “account to date” in the Accounts Current forms should show the transactions from the beginning of the official year, the each balances should be opening balance of the year and the closing balance of the month to which the account refers.

325 Revenue Account Current.-The monthly Revenue Account Current should be prepared as in Appendix XI. The prior approval of the Railway Board is necessary for the omission or addition of a major or a minor head in this form. Railway administrations may, however, introduce sub and detailed head in this form Railway administrations may, however, introduce sub and detailed heads to meet local requirements.

326. The monthly Revenue Account Current should be accompanied by the schedules listed in the form (Appendix XI) in support of the transactions shown against the various heads in the account current. Note – Separate schedules should be prepared and submitted for expenditure in Part II “Contingency Fund”.

327. Forms of Schedules.- The schedules should be in Form A-327 and should exhibit the transactions under each head by the prescribed sub-major heads (vide Appendix IV) and by such other details as may be required by the Railway Board. In the case of the schedules of debits and credits to Transfers Railway, two separate schedules, one for debits and the other for credits, showing the analysis by railways, should be prepared.

328. Statement of Transactions .- In order that a proper reconciliation may be effected, in the office of the Railway Board, of the transactions of the various railways under the head “Transfers Railway”, statements in Form A-328 should be prepared and submitted with the monthly Revenue Account Current (Appendix XI). The figures shown in these statements should be the sum total of the adjustments made both in Capital, Revenue and Construction Accounts.

329. Capital Account Current. –The monthly Capital Account Current of Open Lines and of New Constructions should be prepared as in Appendix XII. The rule laid down in paragraph 325 is equally applicable to this form.

330. Capital Account schedules.-The monthly Capital Account Current should be accompanied by the following schedules in support of the transactions shown against the various heads in the account current. All the schedules, with the exception of the Schedules of Expenditure under 5002 and 5003 Capital Outlay on Indian Railways (see next paragraph), should be prepared in Form A. 327 in accordance with the instructions in paragraph 327. Schedules to accompany the Capital and New Construction Accounts:- 1. Schedule of credits and debits to Transfer Railways. 2. Schedule of Deposits with “Reserve Bank”. 3. Schedule of expenditure under 5002 Capital Outlay on Indian Railways- Commercial. 4. Schedule of expenditure under 5003 Capital Outlay on Indian Railways- Strategic. 5. Schedule of Expenditure on New Construction Accounts which are maintained by the Financial Adviser and Chief Accounts Officer of an Open Line Railway separately for each construction with a summary there of. 6. Schedule of Receipt and Expenditure-Deposits of Branch Line Companies. 7. Schedule of Expenditure of preparation period Note (1) (2) Separate schedules shall be prepared and submitted for expenditure under. Part II-Contingency Fund . The schedule referred to in item 1 above should be submitted with the Capital Account of New Constructions only where such Accounts are kept separately from Open Line Accounts. 331. Schedule of Expenditure under 5002 and 5003. - Capital Outlay on Indian Railway for the first eleven months should show expenditure for the current financial year. This should be in Form A.

331. The schedule for the month of March should show cumulative Expenditure since commencement of operation in Form A. 331- A Separate schedules should be prepared for the transactions under the head "5002- Capital Outlay on Indian Railway - Commercial" and "5003- Capital Outlay on Indian Railways-Strategic" along with a summary of transactions under both these heads. In the case of new lines under construction a separate schedule should be submitted for each line. The details under the Suspense heads in Form A. 331-B should be appended to these schedules.

332. Annual Closing Of Books. – The books relating to the financial year should, in every case, be closed by the 28th July following or by on earlier date as fixed by the Railway Board.

333. The accounts of a year are kept open after the close of the year so that, as far as possible all the transactions of the year may be included therein. For any expenditure actually incurred but bills for which are not accepted or accounted for by the executive, provisional adjustments should be carried out on the basis of readily available allocation. Such provisional adjustments should be noted down in a manuscript register for prompt regularization. It is not essential that transactions relating to earlier years should be booked in the accounts of the latest year which are still open. If it is impossible to have any expenditure booked in the accounts of the year to which it relates owing to the fact that the actual incidence of the expenditure is under dispute, it ought to be charged to the accounts of the year in which the final decision is taken, though at the same time, efforts should be made to expedite the decision as far as possible. Adjustments should not be made in the accounts of the past year if the disbursements could not have been reasonably anticipated in time for a grant being obtained from the proper authority. In all cases, where the expenditure, could have reasonably been anticipated as for example, recurring payment to a State or Department of the Central Government and payments which, though not of fixed amount, are of a fixed character, etc., the Accounts Officer should make the adjustment in the accounts before they are finally closed.

334. When demands (original or supplementary) for appropriation of the necessary amounts for the expenditure are placed before the Parliament, suitable provision should always be made for anticipated liabilities and the provision in paragraph 333 that adjustment should not be made in the previous year’s accounts in certain circumstances should not be used to cover the results of defective budgeting. The onus of proving that the disbursements could not have reasonably been anticipated should lie on the Controlling Officer.

335. Final Accounts Current. – After the books for a financial year are closed, Final Accounts Current of the Capital and Revenue transactions of the railway should be prepared and submitted to the Railway board so as to reach them not later than the 30th August following. These Accounts Current are intended to show the transactions of the railway for the year under the various final heads of account and the opening and closing balances under the suspense and debt heads.

336. Final Revenue Accounts Current. – The Final Revenue Accounts Current should be prepared as in Appendix XIII.

337. Final Capital Account Current. – The final Capital Account Current should be prepared as in Appendix XIV.

338. Consolidation of Accounts Current. – On Railways, where the Accounts Officers subordinate to the Financial Adviser and Chief Accounts Officer submit compiled accounts to the head office, the Accounts Current (whether monthly or final) submitted by them should be consolidated into one Account Current for the entire railway. Similarly, the Accounts Current of Constructions should be consolidated so that one Account Current for Constructions may be prepared. The process by which the various Accounts Current are consolidated are outlined in the succeeding paragraphs.

339. Sub-Register of Account Current. – A register in Form A.339 should be maintained for consolidating the receipts and charges in the various Accounts Current. This register should be posted direct from the Accounts Current and the totals struck. Figures “to end of the month” should be worked out by adding the month’s figures to those brought out to end of the previous month. The Account Current for the entire railway or of Constructions should be prepared from this register. (The ledger A.310) maintained in the Central Accounts Office of the railway should also be posted from this register.

340. Sub-Register of Schedules.-For the purpose of preparing consolidated schedules in support of the consolidated Account Current a subsidiary register in Form A. 340. Should be maintained. In it, separate pages should be allotted for each head of account for which schedules are prepared. Alternatively, a separate register may be maintained for each head of account. Form A-340

341. Consolidation in the Office of the Railway Board.-The Accounts Current submitted by the various railways are consolidated in the office of the Railway Board and a statement of Receipts and Charges is prepared and submitted to the Finance ministry of the Central government to enable that Ministry to control the "Ways & Means" arrangements of the Government.

342. Approximate Account Current.-A statement of receipts and expenditure for each month and from the commencement of the financial year to the end of the month under such heads, as may be prescribed, should be sent to the Railway Board in Form Appendix XV so as to reach them not later than the 15th of the month following that to which the figures relate. The approximate Account Current for the months of July, October and January may however reach them not later than 20th of the month following that to which figures relate. The Approximate Account current for March should, reach the Railway Board's office by 3rd May. The information should be posted by Air Mail by name to the officer incharge of the Accounts Branch of the Board's office. If, in any case, the statements cannot be sent on the due date by post, the information contained therein should be telegraphed to the Railway Board, the Code words indicated in Appendix XV being used for the purpose.

343. The approximate Account Current Appendix XV should be accompanied by the following statements :- (i) Statements comparing the approximate gross receipts and revenue expenditure with the actual of the corresponding period of the previous year together with brief explanations for the variations. (ii) Statement showing Approximate Railway Receipts and Disbursements. (iii) Credits booked in reduction of expenditure under Capital and Revenue by demands.

344. Statement of Approximate Receipts and Revenue Expenditure. – This statement should be prepared in Form A. 344. And should be accompanied by explanations for the variations brought out in the statement. If it is not possible to send the explanations with the statement, they may be sent separately within six days of the dates specified in paragraph 342 for the despatch of the statement.

Note- Explanations for variations will be submitted for the months of July, October, November, February and March every year.

 

345. Statement showing Approximate Railway Receipts and Disbursements.-this statement should be prepared in Form A.345. Form A-345

346. Statement showing he credits in the net expenditure shown in the approximate Account Current.-This statement should be prepared in Form A- 346. Form A-346.

347. Consolidation in the office of the Railway Board.-The Approximate Account Current received from the various railways are consolidated in the Accounts Branch of the Railway Board and one Approximate Accounts Current is prepared for the Railway Ministry. This Account Current is sent to the Finance ministry for use in the consideration of "Ways & Means" of the Central Government. From the statement of Gross Receipts and Revenue received from the various Railways, a consolidated statement for the entire Railway Ministry is prepared for the information of the Railway board.

Multiple choice questions:

1. What are the main duties of the Accounts Officer in regard to the compilation of Accounts?

  • a) To audit all the financial transactions of the railway.
  • b) To collect and bring to account all receipts and disbursements of the railway, department, division, etc., to which he is attached.
  • c) To prepare detailed reports for external auditors.
  • d) To approve all financial transactions without exceptions.

Answer: b

2.  According to Paragraph 302, accounting transactions fall under which two distinct headings?

  • a) Revenue and Expenditure
  • b) Capital and Revenue
  • c) Cash Receipts and Disbursements and Book Adjustments
  • d) Assets and Liabilities

Answer: c

3. Which form is used for the Daily Abstract of Cash Transactions or the General Cash Book?

  • a) A-304
  • b) A-306
  • c) A-307
  • d) A-310

Answer: a

4.  How should cash transactions be recorded according to Paragraph 304?

  • a) In the General Ledger
  • b) In the Cashier’s Cash Book (A-1917)
  • c) In the Daily Abstract of Cash Transactions (Form A-304)
  • d) In the Journal (Form A-307)

Answer: c

5.What is the purpose of the Journal (Form A-307)?

  • a) To record all cash transactions
  • b) To record all transactions that do not involve the actual receipt or disbursement of cash
  • c) To maintain the payroll details
  • d) To compile the monthly accounts

Answer: b

6.Which of the following is NOT a General Book that should be maintained by the Accounts Officer?

  • a) The Daily Abstract of Cash Transactions
  • b) The Monthly Classified Abstract of Cash Transactions
  • c) The Journal
  • d) The Payroll Register

Answer: d

7. How often should the General Cash Book (A-304) be balanced and reconciled with the Cashier’s Cash Book (A-1917)?

  • a) Monthly
  • b) Weekly
  • c) Daily
  • d) Quarterly

Answer: c

8. The Monthly Classified Abstract of Cash Transactions should be kept in how many parts?

  • a) One part
  • b) Two parts
  • c) Three parts
  • d) Four parts

Answer: b

9.Which form should be used for the Journal Slips?

  • a) A-304
  • b) A-306
  • c) A-308
  • d) A-310

Answer: c

10. For how many years should unpaid wages be allowed to remain in the Register of Deposits of the Railway before being credited to "Miscellaneous receipts" or "Traffic Accounts"?

  • a) One year
  • b) Two years
  • c) Three years
  • d) Four years

Answer: c

11.The Revenue Allocation Register is maintained under which major heads of revenue classification?

  • a) 346 and 347
  • b) 144 and 147
  • c) 204 and 207
  • d) 311 and 312

Answer: a

12.What is the form number for the Register of Earnings?

  • a) A-304
  • b) A-306
  • c) A-313
  • d) A-320

Answer: c

13.Where should details in support of the debit to the head "Demands Payable" be recorded?

  • a) In the Daily Abstract of Cash Transactions
  • b) In the Demands Payable Register (A-315)
  • c) In the Journal (A-307)
  • d) In the Cashier’s Cash Book (A-1917)

Answer: b

14.What is the purpose of the Staff Benefit Fund Committee in relation to unpaid wages?

  • a) To invest the unpaid wages in railway projects
  • b) To hold and release unpaid wages to claimants as decided by the competent authority/court
  • c) To distribute unpaid wages among current employees
  • d) To use unpaid wages for railway maintenance

Answer: b

15.What should be done with unpaid wages remaining outstanding due to the death of employees or other reasons?

  • a) Transferred to a suspense account indefinitely
  • b) Credited to "Miscellaneous receipts" immediately
  • c) Deposited with the Chairman Staff Benefit Fund Committee for four years
  • d) Returned to the government treasury

Answer: c

16. What is the primary purpose of an Accounts Current (as per paragraph 324)?

a) To track employee attendance

b) To show a breakdown of receipts and disbursements KEY

c) To manage inventory levels

d) To record passenger information

17. According to paragraph 325, who has the authority to approve changes to the format of the Monthly Revenue Account Current?

a) The Divisional/Workshop Accounts Officer

b) Local Railway Administrations

c) The Financial Adviser and Chief Accounts Officer KEY

d) The Railway Board

18. Based on paragraph 326, what document accompanies the monthly Revenue Account Current to support the transactions?

a) Capital Account Current (Appendix XII)

b) Separate Schedules (listed in Appendix XI) KEY

c) Statement of Transactions (Form A-328)

d) Approximate Account Current (Appendix XV)

19. By what date at the latest should the monthly accounts of Divisions/Workshops be submitted to the Financial Adviser and Chief Accounts Officer (as per paragraph 323)?

a) As fixed by the Divisional/Workshop Accounts Officer

b) By the 15th of the following month

c) By the last day of the following month or another designated day KEY

d) Within a week of the month's end

20. What is the key principle for preparing entries in an Account Current according to paragraph 324?

a) Include minus results as positive values on the opposite side.

b) Show all entries with write-back adjustments included.

c) Present entries in chronological order. KEY

d) Deduct write-back adjustments before showing each transaction.

21. As per paragraph 329, how should the monthly Capital Account Current be prepared?

a) In accordance with Appendix XIII

b) Following the same format as the Revenue Account Current (Appendix XI) KEY

c) Using a custom format approved by the Financial Adviser

d) There is no specific format requirement.

22. Which of the following statements about Schedules of Expenditure under 5002 and 5003 (Capital Outlay on Indian Railways) is TRUE according to paragraph 331?

a) They should be prepared in Form A-328.

b) They are not required for the first eleven months.

c) They show cumulative expenditure since the beginning of operation for March. KEY

d) They are identical for Commercial and Strategic categories.

23. What document (mentioned in paragraph 330) provides a summary of transactions under the heads "5002" and "5003"?

a) Statement of Transactions (Form A-328)

b) Separate schedules for each head KEY

c) Capital Account Current (Appendix XII)

d) Schedules of Expenditure under 5002 and 5003

24. In which scenario would a separate Accounts Current be prepared for expenditure of a New Construction (as per paragraph 323)?

a) When the accounts are maintained by the same organization as Open Lines.

b) When the Financial Adviser handles expenditure on Construction. KEY

c) Separate Accounts Current are never required for New Construction.

d) There is no distinction between Open Lines and New Construction.

25. What is the consequence of not submitting the accounts to the Railway Board by the prescribed date (as implied in paragraph 323)?

a) No penalty is incurred.

b) The accounts may be rejected.

c) An explanation for the delay must be reported immediately. KEY

d) The Financial Adviser is automatically notified.

 

26. By what date at the latest should the financial year books be closed according to paragraph 332?

a) 15th of August

b) 28th of July KEY

c) As decided by the Accounts Officer

d) 30th of September

27. What is the purpose of keeping accounts open after the financial year closes (as per paragraph 333)?

a) To record transactions from previous years.

b) To include all possible transactions for the closing year. KEY

c) To allow for adjustments to past year expenditures.

d) To facilitate budget planning for the next year.

28. According to paragraph 333, when can provisional adjustments be made to the accounts?

a) Whenever a disbursement cannot be reasonably anticipated.

b) Only for recurring payments to the government.

c) When bills are not accepted or accounted for by the executive. KEY

d) In situations where the final decision on expenditure is disputed.

29. Based on paragraph 334, who is responsible for demonstrating that a disbursement could not have been reasonably anticipated for budgeting purposes?

a) The Accounts Officer

b) The Railway Board

c) The Finance Ministry KEY

d) The Department incurring the expenditure

30. What is the deadline for submitting Final Accounts Current to the Railway Board after the financial year closes (paragraph 335)?

a) 15th of September

b) 28th of July

c) 30th of August KEY

d) As specified by the Railway Board

31. Which of the following statements about Final Accounts Current is TRUE according to the passage?

a) They are prepared in the same format for both Revenue and Capital transactions.

b) They detail the railway's transactions for the year under various account heads. KEY

c) They are submitted monthly to the Railway Board.

d) They only show the opening and closing balances.

32. What is the primary function of the Sub-Register of Account Current (Form A.339) as mentioned in paragraph 339?

a) To record explanations for variations in the Approximate Account Current.

b) To consolidate receipts and charges from various Accounts Current. KEY

c) To maintain separate pages for each head of account with schedules.

d) To prepare statements comparing revenue and expenditure with the previous year.

33.According to paragraph 342, by what date should the Approximate Account Current typically reach the Railway Board?

a) By the 3rd of May (applicable only to March)

b) By the 15th of the following month (except July, October, January) KEY

c) By the 20th of the following month (applicable to July, October, January)

d) Within a week of the month's end

34.What document (mentioned in paragraph 343) accompanies the Approximate Account Current to explain variations in gross receipts and revenue expenditure?

a) Statement showing Approximate Railway Receipts and Disbursements (Form A.345)

b) Statement showing credits in net expenditure (Form A.346)

c) Statement of Approximate Receipts and Revenue Expenditure (Form A.344) KEY

d) Schedules of Expenditure under 5002 and 5003

35.What is the ultimate destination of the consolidated Approximate Account Current prepared by the Railway Board (paragraph 347)?

a) The Accounts Officers of subordinate railways

b) The Divisions/Workshops of the railway

c) The Finance Ministry of the Central Government KEY

d) The departments incurring the expenditures.

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