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CAG finds irregularities in MPs' development schemes

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has found financial irregularities in the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme in Madhya Pradesh.

The CAG report, tabled during the recently-concluded monsoon session of the assembly, pointed out that the Centre had launched the scheme to enable the members of Parliament recommend work to be carried out in their respective constituencies.

After auditing the records relating to the execution of work, the CAG noted that the expenditure incurred on the scheme during 1993-94 to 1996-97 was only 55 per cent of the total allocation, leaving an unutilised balance of Rs 489.4 million. Rs 275.7 million, debited to the scheme during 1993-97, was not spend.

Regarding the implementation of the scheme, the report said 18,594 recommendations, costing Rs 1.77 billion, were made by the MPs. Of this, 81 per cent was sanctioned by district collectors. However, the reasons for not sanctioning the remaining recommendations, to the tune of Rs 300 million, was not on record.

Quoting information received from the state planning board, the CAG observed that work was sanctioned without obtaining written approval or proposals from the MPs concerned. In Raipur and Ujjain districts, the collectors released funds for the execution of 11 and 698 recommendations respectively, without obtaining sanction from competent technical functionaries.

The CAG also detected cases of wasteful expenditure, non-recovery of funds for cancelled works, irregularities in purchase and non-evaluation of schemes.

The CAG report said an amount of Rs 200,000 was sanctioned to the Satna divisional forest officer for planting 19,500 mango trees. However, only 1,038 trees were planted, of which not even one survived.

In Raipur constituency, similarly, 59 computers were purchased at the cost of Rs 2.98 million on quotation basis without giving wide publicity as required under the provisions of MP Store Purchase rules.

The purchase of computers was not recommended by the MP concerned.

Worse, of the 59 purchased, five computers are being used for office work which was not permissible. The details about the installation of the remaining computers were not made available for audit, the report added.

In Rajnandgaon district, the prescribed procedure of inviting tenders and effecting purchase at lowest rates was not adopted.

Although repair works other than upgradation of durable assets were not permissible under the scheme, petty repairs were carried out in Ambikapur, Bhopal, Raipur and Rajnandgaon constituencies. The administration, however, claims that these works were done on the recommendations of MPs concerned.

UNI

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