CAG detects 311 incomplete projects in Nagaland; depts. siphon off INR 178.96 cr.

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 19 (EMN): The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) detected 311 projects involving an expenditure of INR 1737.68 crore to be incomplete under several departments, as on March 31, 2018.

This was stated in the “Finance of the State Government” section, a copy of which was laid down by the state’s chief minister, during the recently concluded 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.

According to the CAG report, the departments found with incomplete projects as in March 2018 are: Department of Under Developed Area with 75 incomplete projects; Police Engineering Projects- 54; Veterinary and Animal Husbandry- 37; Public Works Department (Road & Bridges)- 13; Civil Administration Works Department- 26; Public Works Department (Housing)- 15; Urban Development- 14; department of Higher Education- 10; Technical Education- 4; Youth Resources and Sports- 4; Geology and M ining- 3; Transport Commissioner- 7; and  23 other departments- 49.

Out of 311 projects, two involving an expenditure of INR 10.47 crore, which were taken up under PWD (Road & Bridges), were suspended, revealed CAG. 

Regarding the target year of completion, the departments didn’t furnish information for 41 out of 311 projects, though called for. Meanwhile, the remaining 270 projects that were stipulated to be completed on or before March 31 2018, had remained incomplete as of December 2018, the report stated.

It further stated that the cost for 11 incomplete projects was revised from INR 151.46 crore to INR 264.20 crore. This increase in cost was related to the projects under PWD (Road & Bridges)- INR 60.49 crore, Geology and Mining- INR 27.41 crore, State Council of Educational Research and Training- INR 0.69 crore, Transport- INR 0.34 crore, Veterinary and Animal Husbandry- INR 0.14 crore, Youth Resources and Sports- INR 15.52 crore, Agriculture- INR 0.17 crore and Social Welfare- INR 7.98 crore.

According to CAG, delay in completion of works leads to cost escalation and the intended benefits from projects fail to reach the beneficiaries in the state due to such impediments. The state government had stated (December 2018) that some of the projects could not be completed due to discontinuation of Special Plan Assistance and assured to carry out a comprehensive review to complete the project in a time-bound manner.

It recommended the state government to conduct a serious review of the incomplete projects and provide required funds to complete them so that the funds already spent do not go to waste.

Misappropriation detected in govt. depts.

The CAG detected 29 cases of misappropriation, defalcation etc., amounting to INR 178.96 crore involving 13 government departments and private firms during the period ending March 31, 2018, wherein final action was pending.

According to CAG, the government departments involved in misappropriation of funds up to 10 years included School Education, Power, Rural Development, Public Works Department (R&B), Medical (Health and Family Welfare), Tourism, Irrigation and Flood Control, Municipal Affairs, Urban Development, Taxes, Land Records and Survey, and private firms.

School Education department reported the highest amount of misappropriation, loss, and theft amounting to INR 82.96 crore, out of which an amount of INR 40.78 lakh had been recovered (Dec. 2018). The report went on to state that the Power department was involved in one case of misappropriation amounting to INR 25.48 crore with no amount recovered. 

The department of Health and Family Welfare was involved in seven cases— two for misappropriation worth INR 1.85 crore, four cases of loss of government materials (INR 11.50 cr.), and one defalcation case (INR 3.01 cr.), taking the total amount to INR 16.36 cr., out of which INR 22.55 lakh was recovered.

The Tourism department was involved in two cases—misappropriation and defalcation worth INR 9.19 crore and INR 5 crore respectively, taking the total to INR 14.19 crore with no recovery. Public Works Department (R&B) had INR 8.78 crore in two cases – misappropriation worth INR 78.51 lakhs and loss of government materials valuing INR 8 crore.

The report went on to state that private firms (unspecified) were involved in the loss of government materials worth INR 7. 23 crore. Various departments (unspecified) were also found involved in two cases of loss of government materials worth INR 4.77 crore, in which INR 2.53 was recovered.

Taxes department was involved in two cases of loss of government materials valuing INR 6.44 crore. Municipal Affairs was involved in two cases of misappropriation amounting to INR 4.11 crore, while Rural Development was involved in three cases of misappropriation worth INR 3.61 crore.

Irrigation and Flood Control department was found involved in one misappropriation case valuing INR 3.46 crore, while one case of misappropriation amounting to INR 1.24 crore was detected in Land Records and Survey, and Urban Development had one case of misappropriation amounting to INR 28.50 lakh.