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| CAG hands over J&K's multi-crore IAY mess to Gadkari | | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Sept 16: Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has handed over an exhaustive report on the multi-crore Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) mess of Jammu and Kashmir to the Union Minister for Rural Development Nitin Gadkari.
The report which is essentially a compilation of various audit reports of CAG on the implementation of Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) in Jammu and Kashmir has unveiled state government's incompetence in implementing the scheme on ground. The report includes response of the state government to the audit observations. The report is available on the website of Ministry of Rural Development with figures updated upto July 31, 2014.
According to the report, state has either remained silent or got the audit paragraphs dropped in the meetings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the state legislative assembly but preferred not to penalize officers who desist from sharing information with audit teams and later, share it in the meetings of the public accounts committees. The officers make all possible efforts to ensure that audit is unable to get the actual picture and is fed essentially with half-baked information.
According to the report, multiple bank accounts (from 2 to 20) were operated in various districts, blocks and Gram Panchayats for implementing IAY scheme. It also observed that in some districts, IAY funds were kept in current account or in personal ledger account by officers incharge of the programme.
Audit noted that the monthly squaring of accounts was not carried out uniformly in all the districts, blocks and Gram Panchayats. Three blocks had incurred an amount of Rs. 0.01 crore on administrative charges from the IAY funds, which is not legal and officers responsible for this should have been penalized and amount recovered from them.
Making a mention of a particular case, audit report has stated that BDO, Marh had shown Rs. 0.29 crore as expenditure in the cash book for the year 2010-11 without any supporting entries and agency to whom the amount had been paid. Further, Rs. 0.15 crore was drawn from the treasury as state share for the IAY in March 2010 and was later shown as transferred to the cash book. The cash book thereof along with allied records was not produced to audit.
In the absence, audit has not ruled out the misappropriation of Rs. 0.44 crore. In 6 districts of Jammu & Kashmir namely Rajouri, Kargil, Kupwara, Kulgam, Kishtwar and Poonch; second installment to 1903 beneficiaries was not released. In the absence of UCs, utilization of first installment totaling Rs. 386.88 lakh paid to 1903 beneficiaries in Jammu & Kashmir could not be ascertained in audit.
Further, the department had resorted to making payments to the beneficiaries through cheques in public meetings held by MPs/MLAs/Ministers which resulted in delayed payment of the assistance to the beneficiaries. In these districts, 2944 beneficiaries were paid assistance of Rs. 1.32 crore at the rates lower than those prescribed. Audit noted that payment of Rs. 3.58 lakh was made to 12 persons who were not eligible under the IAY (were living in urban areas) for purely political reasons.
Further, double payment of Rs. 5.60 lakh was made to 20 beneficiaries. Audit noted that housing shortage was available with the GPs but it was not consolidated at the district level. Separate waitlists for SC/ST and non-SC/ST were not maintained. Seniority of BPL list was not maintained while preparing permanent waitlist (PWL). Annual plan was not prepared in J&K.
6423 non-BPL families were given assistance of Rs. 1779.55 lakh in 361 GPs of 12 blocks of just 6 districts. 12 beneficiaries from urban areas were selected in 2 GPs of two blocks in 2 selected districts of the State and Rs.3.58 lakh was paid to them. In some cases, selection of 12,981 beneficiaries was made on the basis of recommendation of Panchayat ignoring seniority in waitlist.
In 288 GPs of 9 blocks in 5 selected districts of the State, the selection of 1,154 beneficiaries having pucca houses was made and assistance of Rs. 338.10 lakh was given to them. Audit noted that in 20 cases in seven blocks, assistance for construction of houses was paid twice to the same beneficiary resulting in excess payment of Rs. 5.60 lakh.
Audit noted that in 12 selected blocks, no formal sanction/allotment order was issued in the name of female member and the financial assistance was given to male members. Audit noted that the inventory of houses was not prepared while basic amenities were not available or provided as envisaged in the IAY guidelines.
Audit noted that in 5 selected districts of the State, 1,514 houses remained incomplete despite lapse of more than two years from the date of their sanction. These incomplete houses had financial implication of Rs. 3.18 crore. State had failed to train local carpenters and masons for their skill up-gradation, disaster resistant technology and use of low cost technology and local material.
Audit noted that IAY had not been converged with RGGVY for providing free electricity connections. Selected districts of the State could not ensure the convergence with Janshree Bima and Aam Admi Bima. Benefits of MGNREGS and SGSY were not ensured to the IAY beneficiaries. In the selected districts of the State, the system of verification of works at field level was not carried out and schedule of inspection was not drawn up. |
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