CAG report pulls up Maha on non-submission of UCs worth Rs 66k

The CAG report tabled in the Assembly on Friday faulted the Maharashtra government over non-submission of utilisation certificates worth Rs 66,000 crore till March 31, 2018.

The Comptroller and Auditor General report stated that non submission of UCs ran the risk of misappropriation of funds as well as fraud.

However, the report does not mention since when the UCs are piling up.

The total number of utilisation certificates not submitted, till March 31, 2018, stood at 32,570, worth Rs 65,921.35 crore, with 46 per cent of these being part of the Urban Development department.

The CAG report says till March 31, 2016 there were 13,067 UCs worth Rs 28,894.19 crore, while UCs in 2016-17 were 4,027 worth Rs 12,301.19 crore.

The number of such UCs increased to 15,476 worth Rs 24,725.97 crore during 2017-18, taking the total number of UCs to 32,570 by the end of 31 March 2018, the CAG report said.

"Non-submission of utilisation certificates amounting to Rs 65,921.35 crore as on March 31, 2018 indicated lack of proper monitoring by the department in utilisation of grants sanctioned for specific purposes," the CAG report's strictures read.

"Further, there was no assurance that the money was actually incurred during the financial year for the purpose of which it was sanctioned/authorised by the legislature. High pendency of UCs was fraught with the risk of misappropriation of funds and fraud," it added.

The CAG also observed that majority of non-submission of utilisation certificate related to the urban development department, at 46 per cent, followed by schools education and sports (eight per cent), planning (eight per cent), public health (seven per cent) among others.

Non submissions of UCs defeat the very purpose of legislative control over the public purse, and is fraught with risk of funds released for various schemes being locked up or diverted, the CAG said.

The Bombay Financial Planning Rules, 1959 provide that, for the grants received during a year for specific purposes, UC should be obtained by departmental officers.