CAG pulls up UP govt on "lapses" in schemes through DICs

The CAG has come down heavily on Uttar Pradesh government for "lapses" in implementation of various schemes through District Industries Centres (DICs).
In its report laid in the UP Assembly today, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has noted that due to non-maintenance of records, authenticity of release of subsidy amounting to Rs 54.54 crore to 1,996 beneficiaries could not be vouchsafed.
Major audit findings in the report on 'Economic Sector -Non Public Sector Undertakings, Government of Uttar Pradesh' for 2013-14 said, implementation of soft intervention in Steel Furniture Cluster at Lucknow could not be completed even after a lapse of four years.

Besides, a project of leather cluster at Gorakhpur was cancelled due to non-adherence of guidelines of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board.
Under upgradation of infrastructure facilities in the Industrial Estates Scheme, the DICs "failed" to ensure adequate infrastructure facilities in existing Industrial Estates due to which 614 plots remained unallotted, it said.
In contravention of the guidelines of Collective Training Scheme for self-employment of persons of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, DICs "failed" to ensure 33 per cent participation of women.
Besides, under the Handicraft Marketing Promotion Scheme, the DICs failed to widely publicise the scheme which resulted in non-utilisation of funds amounting to Rs 1.59 crore.