Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Mar 28: Passing severe strictures against the functioning of various State Government departments and Public Sector Undertakings, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its report for 2014 tabled in State Assembly on March 27 has pin pointed excess, wasteful, unfruitful expenditures, fraudulent drawls, blocking of funds involving Rs 795 crore.
Revealing this to media persons here, today, Accountant General (Audit) J&K Khalid Jamal said the report for 2014 carried five performance audits and 23 paragraphs involving Rs 795 crore relating to excess , wasteful, unfruitful expenditure, fraudulent drawls, blocking of funds etc by the various State Government departments and PSUs.
Briefing about some audit objections regarding the functioning of the Police Department in the State, he said that 18 police stations and 103 police posts were without own buildings.
Maintaining that police station is the first contact point of people in distress with the State Government, Jamal said the importance of efficient and effective police functioning at the police station level is important for building public confidence in the State.
CAG report further pointed out that out of Rs 394.30 crore incurred on the construction works, only Rs 18.10 crore (three percent) were incurred on construction, repairs and renovation of police stations during the period 2004 to 2014.
It further pointed out that functional infrastructural facilities were found lacking in eight test checked districts with 105 police stations. The availability of interrogation room, rest room, single lock up room, separate toilets for the women was dismal and none of the PSs in six of the eight police districts had a separate toilet for the women.
As per report, the deficiency of family accommodation for upper and lower subordinate staff ranged between 84 and 91 percent and against required 300 barracks only 207 barracks were available in the State.
As per J&K Police Manual, only serving police officers are entitled to the services of head constables and constables to work as their personnel orderlies. However, in violation of police manual 198 police personnel were attached with retired police officers. Also, 180 police personnel had been deployed in the security of police officers and political leaders in excess of norms fixed by the security wing of the Department, the CAG report added.
The CAG report findings revealed lack of desired level of mobility in the police force and the shortage of Light Motor Vehicles (LMV) and Motor Cycles (MCs) was to the extent of 53 percent and 60 percent respectively. Against requirement of 432 vehicles as envisaged by GOI, 105 police stations in eight districts were holding only 134 vehicles. Besides 26 PPs and PSs were without vehicles and 28 PPs and PSs possess condemned vehicles.
The CAG report pointed out that in eight test checked districts life saving equipments viz, body protectors and bullet proof vests were not available with 64 police stations where 2865 police personnel perform their duties.
The CAG report while finding fault in the functioning of Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) which has been entrusted with implementation of GOI sponsored schemes like Remote Village Electrification (RVE) Programme and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) which are mainly focused on promotion of Solar energy in the States has also pointed out various lacunas in its functioning.
The agency has failed in survey of remote villages and in preparing the DPRs and lists of the beneficiaries despite the fact that the Agency received Rs 2.86 crore for the purpose from the GoI. The report said that this fund has been utilized on unapproved items like purchase of vehicles, POL, traveling allowance, air fares, wages, repair of vehicles etc. Instead the agency relied on the lists of remote villages, beneficiaries framed by RDD.
The report revealed that agency has failed to distribute Solar Home Lighting System to 14,692 approved households and instead it distributed 12,366 SHLSs valuing Rs 13.45 crore in unapproved villages. The distribution of these SHLSs in electrified villages led to non achievement of intended benefit of the schemes.
It further pointed out that the agency did not ensure an un-electrified status of villages and hamlets before distribution of SHLSs as a result 8,984 SHLSs valuing Rs 9.77 crore were found distributed to 8,984 households of 37 electrified hamlets. Of the 4,384 solar lanterns received in district offices, Anantnag during April 2011 to August 2011, 803 solar lanterns costing Rs 22.09 lakh had not been distributed to the beneficiaries up to August 2013. Besides the solar lights of 12 sites were reported to have become non functional immediately after commissioning and suppliers of the equipment had not provided service for maintenance rendering expenditure of Rs 2.52 crore incurred on installations of the equipment wastefully, it added.
The CAG report revealed that financial loss of Rs 17.81 lakh to the public ex-chequre, undue benefit to the suppliers and allotment of projects to the ineligible contractors.
As per report, the agency placed orders for the procurement of 6,872 solar home lighting systems and 4,355 solar lanterns with the Director General Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) New Delhi at a cost of Rs 11.24 crore on October 23,2009 before obtaining the approval of the Principal Secretary of the Department. Further approval of the Governing body of the Executive Committee of the agency was not obtained. These were spilt into 14 supply orders below Rs one crore each to avoid signatures of the Competent Authority. The orders of the then Minister of Science and Information Technology regarding cancellation of these supply orders were not carried out and further procurements were made under the very nose of the Government, the report added.
It said the agency placed supply orders for solar home lighting system at a rate of Rs 12,978 just seven days before lapse of rate contract valid upto October 2009. This resulted in the excess payment of Rs 32.81 lakh as the new rate contract effective from November 2009 for the solar home lighting systems was approved for Rs 12500 per system.
The CAG findings pointed out that the Inspection report of the Directorate of Quality Assurance, Department of Commerce Ministry of Commerce & Industry, GoI indicated that 5000 solar home lighting system supplied by a firm at a cost of Rs 5.44 crore were not as per technical specification envisaged in the NIT.
The Agency also allotted a contract of Rs 16.92 crore to a firm in violation of the terms and conditions of the bids for supply of solar system. The agency had also placed supply order of solar power plants with the same firm at a cost of Rs 3.43 crore without competitive bidding, the report added.
The report said that as per national forest policy 1988 aimed to bring 66 percent of geographical area in the hilly areas under forest cover, the recorded forest area of the State remained 16,053 sq kms which account for 15.83 per cent of the geographical area under actual control of the State.
The report revealed that due to non finalization of working plans for all the territorial divisions against earmarked funding of grant of Rs 66.52 crore for period 2012-13 -14 the GoI released only Rs 16.63 crore resulting in short release of Rs 49.89 crore.
The report says less spending was done by the State for conservation of forests and 6.281 hectares of forest land was diverted for non forest use without alternative land being obtained. It further revealed that encroachment of forest land was increased by 88 percent from 9214.53 hectares to 17,352 hectares from March 2003 to March 2012.
Moreover, the Forest Protection Force was suffering from shortage of infrastructure, arms and ammunition and communication equipment.
Among the Public Sector Undertakings the CAG has revealed total mismanagement by SICOP. It said SICOP in IID Govindsar Phase II allotted plot of 100 kanals to a single entrepreneur against the approved size of 2-4 kanals. Besides one plot of 80 kanals was allotted to a single entrepreneur and two plots of 20 kanals each were allotted to two entrepreneurs against approved size of 1-4 kanals..
Moreover, 265 deposit works at a cost of Rs 57.64 crore were allotted to various contractors on selective basis without tendering and without issuing any formal allotment letters. Out of these works 16 works worth Rs 6.95 crore were allotted to a single contractor and 42 works amounting Rs 7.17 crore had been allotted to the same contractor jointly with other contractors.
Under PM’s employment package for migrants SICOP without obtaining administrative approval and technical sanction and without fulfilling codal formalities gave contracts for prefabricated huts to two contractors.
It revealed that State has continued to maintain revenue surplus during the period 2009-14 but surplus declined in 2013-14. The fiscal deficit increased from Rs 3839 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 4554 crore in 2013-14.
The CAG report has not also spared the J&K Bank and questioned its functioning so far as distribution of loans is concerned. It pointed out that loans amounting to Rs 143.94 lakh were given without verification. It also pointed out that J&K SC,ST and OBC Development Corporation Limited had not carried out the survey for identification of beneficiaries.
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