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| PHE lost 41.51cr assistance under MNP | | 11.66 crores goes down to the drain | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Feb 6
All ready struggling with the controversies of backdoor appointments which witnessed the constitution of a House Committee last year, Public Health Engineering Department has received another setback as the CAG report for 2007 has pointed out that it lost central assistance of Rs 41.51 crores after it failed to spend these under Minimum Needs Program (MNP) besides showing excessive closing balance and utilizing 11.66 cr. on execution of works outside the scope of the scheme. .
The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for the year 2007 reveals that despite having the funds at their disposal, the underutilization of same has cost the department dearly.
The availability of funds was not a constraint to program implementation as saving ranged between 11 and 47 percent during the years 2002-2007, report says.
The report observed that delayed release of funds to implementing agencies have not only resulted in non utilization of programme funds but also slowed down the programme.
Across Doda, Kathua and Udhampur districts of Jammu region, eight schemes had not been completed due to non-utilization of funds released for these schemes, report says.
"The poor management of Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) funds not only caused set back to the implementation of the programme but also deprived the rural areas of the state of safe drinking water," report adds.
The report further says that the funds aggregating 11.66 crore were diverted and misutilised for execution of works outside the scope of programme by two CEs and EEs during 2002-2007 as a result of which the rural inhabitants for whom the scheme is meant, were deprived of potable water facilities.
The report says that in contravention to rules and regulations the PHE division Kathua executed 35 schemes costing Rs. 5.65 crore during 2004-2005 under Kandi Action Plan without availability of funds, out of which funds amounting Rs 1.84 were provided during 2006-07 and the liability was reduced to rupees 3.81 crores.
Contrary to guidelines department has spent only 18.18 percent of ARWSP funds for the SC/ ST population while it should have spent 35% as per the guidelines for providing drinking water to SC/ST habitations under the scheme, the report says.
The report reveals that 23 water supply schemes taken up for execution during 1999-2005 by Akhnoor, Badgam, Doda, Katua, Kishtwar, Leh, Poonch, Reasi, Samba and Shopian divisions at an estimated cost of rupees 13.08 crore were not completed due to non development of source, depletion of source, land dispute and price escalation resulting in unfruitful expenditure of 9.54 crores and idle investment of rupees 2.72 crores with subsequent non coverage of 77 habitations. |
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