Slamming the Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) for incurring unfruitful expenditure of over 3.5 crore for the maintenance of Rabindra Rangshala, where programmes were not held for over a decade, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) today rapped the ministry of culture for lacking proactive approach to gainfully utilise the premises.
In its report tabled in Parliament today, the CAG said that Rabindra Rangashala situated at the Delhi Ridge created for the furtherance of performing arts was handed over to SNA in April 1993.
On the directions of Supreme Court in May 1996, all activities were stopped in the Delhi Ridge area, where the Rangshala was situated, the report said.
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"The Akademi incurred Rs. 3.70 crore on maintenance, upkeep and deployment of staff at the Rangshala during 2002-03 to 2012-13 even though no programme was being held there," the CAG said.
The last programme was held as early as 1993-94 and thereafter no programme was organised at the Rangshala, it added.
Further, the report said that the initiatives undertaken by the SNA to put the Rangashala to use for the purpose for which it was set up were "inadequate and unfruitful".
"The Ministry on its part did not adopt a proactive approach to gainfully utilise the premises or to finally shut it down," the CAG said.
The report further said that the non-utilisation of the Rangshala or its final closure as per directions of the Supreme Court was not resolved even after a lapse of 20 years.
The CAG also rapped the Culture ministry for embarking on a project in Delhi without ensuring removal of encroachment which led to the cessation of work midway and the project was ultimately shelved resulting in unproductive expenditure of Rs 35 lakh and blocking of funds of Rs 1.02 crore.
In December 2003, the ministry released Rs 1.25 crore to the Central Public Works Department as a deposit for development of a land adjoining Feroshah Kotla Fort at New Delhi into a park as part of the birth centenary celebrations of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan.
While the work relating to development of land was being undertaken, the CAG said, on insistence of a Member of Parliament the work in the area was stopped and an old approach road, which was proposed to form part of the park be restored for the use by the public, CPWD reported the matter to the ministry and the work was stopped.
