news details |
|
|
| Floriculture deptt fails to set up cold storage facility at Tulip Garden despite lapse of 7 years | | CAG says that deptt resorted to wasteful expenditure of more than five and half crores | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, July 8: Failure of the Department of Floriculture to establish cold storage facility at the Tulip Garden and the subsequent purchase of tulip bulbs has put a financial burden of more than five and half crores on the state ex-chequer.
In its report for the year ending March 31, 2015, Comptroller and Auditor (CAG) of India has said that the Department of Floriculture failed to set up the cold storage facility which was proposed by the Director of the department around seven years back.
"Failure of the departmental authorities to identify an agency for establishment of cold store at Tulip Garden Srinagar resulted in blockade of funds to the extent of Rs. 3.95 crores and avoidable expenditure of Rs. 1.63 crores on the purchase of tulip bulbs," said the CAG.
The CAG said that for propagation and storage of tulip and other bulbs in scientific manner, the Director Floriculture Kashmir proposed (September 2009) establishment of cold store at Tulip Garden Srinagar at a cost of Rs. 4 crores to the state government. The project was targeted to be completed by March 2010.
"Audit scrutiny (June 2014) of records of Director Floriculture Kashmir showed that the tendering process for the cold store was initiated in October 2009 and then again in April 2010 in consultation with the Mechanical Engineering department but due to lack of specific technology for establishment of such store in India there was poor response of the bidders," said the CAG.
The CAG said the department thereafter approached (September 2011) State Trading Corporation (STC) of India, New Delhi for establishment of cold store. The STC furnished copy of agreement of terms and conditions with end-user department for import/supply of acceptance which was submitted to the government by the Director and the matter was referred to the committee already constituted (April 2011) for the purpose.
"The committee opined to entrust the job of establishment of cold store to Chief Engineer Mechanical Engineering department Kashmir. However, no headway was made in establishment of cold store (March 2015). Audit further noticed that administrative approval of the project was accorded (February 2010) and Rs. 3.95 crores were advanced (March 2010) by the government to Director Floriculture Kashmir for establishment of the cold store unit," said the CAG.
The CAG said that the Director withdrew and deposited Rs. 3.95 crores in his Current Bank account and the amount was subsequently transferred (March 2013) to the deposit head of the account. The structural storage facilities for preserving tulip bulbs could not be put in place. As a result, the department had to incur an expenditure of Rs. 1.63 crores during the period from 2010-11 to 2013-14 on purchase/import of tulip bulbs.
"The Accounts officer of Directorate of Floriculture Kashmir stated (June 2014) that funds were released in March 2010 and were withdrawn from the treasury to avoid lapsing of funds. The matter was referred to government in May 2015. Director Floriculture Kashmir stated (July 2015) that to ensure good quality of bloom at tulip garden fresh tulip bulbs were procured every year and that mechanical department had furnished DPR for construction of 37.5 metric tonnes capacity Tulip Bulb cold store at a cost of Rs. 1.91 crores. The reply was not convincing as despite lapse of over five years, the cold storage was not established and funds amounting to Rs. 3.98 crores continued to remain in the Civil Deposit Head," said the CAG.. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
