Cong to seek CBI enquiry into diversion of funds

The Opposition Congress today said it will seek a CBI enquiry into alleged diversion of central and other funds by the SAD-BJP regime last year when the state was poll-bound.
Quoting the CAG report tabled recently in the state Assembly, Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa said while addressing a press conference here that the 13th Finance Commission has expressed concern over the tendency to divert public money from the budget to nominated funds, which are operated outside the authority of the legislature.
Bajwa alleged that a senior Minister of the SAD-BJP government, in May last year, had conceded that Rs 2,000 crore of central funds, meant for various schemes, was diverted between 2011-12.

"My direct charge on the state government is that no one knows where this money has gone. We fear that this could have been misused, as Punjab went to polls (in January) last year. It's a case of pilferage of funds. I will meet the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and write to the CAG on this," Bajwa said.
The CAG report mentions that revenue receipts collected by various bodies were credited to other funds instead of being credited to the "Consolidated Fund" and during 2011-12, revenue receipts amounting to Rs 1,634.62 crore were credited to these funds and an expenditure of Rs 3,194.84 crore was incurred from accumulated receipts of these funds, which is in violation to constitutional provisions.

"Of the Rs 3,194 crore, Rs 1,634 crore was diverted in 2011-12. Where has this amount gone? The CAG has found that the government accounts are shrouded in mystery...We will seek a CBI enquiry into the whole issue as we fear that money was siphoned off at poll time," he said, adding that the CAG has rapped the state government for financial mismanagement and various other irregularities.
"Punjab's economy, at present, is in a mess and growth rate is very low, much lower even than the neighbouring states like Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand," he said.