Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 13: Audit has pointed out several flaws in allocation of funds under Prime Minister’s Development Package meant to compensate the flood affected businessmen in Kashmir.
According to the audit report the then PDP-BJP government had diverted Rs 4 crore from the Prime Minister’s Development Package to the beneficiaries who were not covered under the scheme.
The report has pointed out that Rs 4 crore were distributed among 903 women without any source of income, among the owners of the damaged houses and State Disaster Relief Beneficiary fund.
The audit report has pointed out that the government had already sanctioned funds for the beneficiaries falling under this category then how come the money meant for interest subvention scheme meant to flood affected businessmen was diverted for other reasons.
It has recommended that the official responsible for misusing the funds shoul > Rs 4 cr meant for interest subvention of traders diverted
> 100 % losses covered in Baramulla instead of 50 %
> Money deposited twice into accounts of traders in Srinagar
Another flaw which the auditors have pointed out is that many traders were illegally benefitted.
In North Kashmir’s Baramulla district the government had announced that 50% losses of the flood affected traders will be covered but instead of that 100% losses were covered.
In Srinagar district at Khanyar, South Srinagar and Central Srinagar, money was deposited twice in the accounts of 39 traders.
Instead of Rs 11 lakhs, 21 lakhs were deposited.
When an audit pointed out this discrepancy the government revealed that Rs 35000 have been recovered from two traders and rest the process is on.
The officials have been unable to give a proper reply to the queries raised by the auditors.
The present government led by Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, should order a probe to hold the officials accountable for messing up the funds released under the Prime Minister’s Development Package. | 