CAG finds irregularities in slot allocation by ICCR

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has found irregularities in the allocation of slots by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to countries with whom India has no valid cultural exchange programme.
In its report tabled in Parliament today, CAG has stated that the council allocated 25 per cent slots under Cultural Exchange Programme Scholarship scheme to countries with which no valid agreement for cultural exchange programme existed.
"Audit noted that the council allocated 470 (25 per cent of total alloted slots) for the students of ten countries with which no valid cultural exchange programme existed," it said in its report.

"The council may ensure that scholarships are awarded to students of those countries with whom valid agreement exists", it said.
The CAG also termed the expenditure of Rs 8.15 crore which was incurred for the 34 delegations sent to 70 countries during 2009-10 to 2011-12 as "unautharised" in the absence of approval of the competent authority which is the ICCR president.
It also stated that the council did not hold the prescribed number of General Assembly (GA) as well as the General Body (GB) meetings and did not place its budget for 2007-08 to 2009-10 before the finance committee, the GB and the GA for approval.

The report said that against the approval of opening 14 Indian Cultural Centres (ICCs) abroad, the council had opened 17 ICCs. The council was also in the process of opening eight additional ICCs without obtaining the required approval.
The government auditor recommended that the meetings of statutory authorities should be held according to the prescribed periodicity while the council should also ensure placement of annual budget, annual report and annual accounts before the statutory authority for approval and adoption.
It also recommended that the budget should be prepared on realistic basis and actual expenditure which should be monitored periodically while the ICCR should also obtain necessary approvals from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Ministry of Finance (M0F) before opening new ICCs.