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| JK Govt couldn’t avail a whopping Rs 24 Crore central grant | | Misappropriation of public money looms, GOI raises alarm | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 24: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has been found reporting an “incorrect” expenditure to the Government of India, resulting in the apprehension of misappropriation of the government money and non-utilization of the central grants.
Official documents reveal that funds under the Project – titled ‘Construction of Government Tourist assets in lieu of assets destroyed in the floods of September 2014’-were released by the GoI directly to the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) State Cable Car Corporation during the period from 2016-17 to 2018-19 which after authorization by the Department, released funds to the implementing agencies for execution of various works under the project.
The sanctioned project cost was Rs 98.70 crore, out of which an amount of Rs 74.70 crore (76 percent) was released in September 2020 by the GoI credited directly into the Bank account of J&K State Cable Car Corporation under intimation to the Jammu and Kashmir Government. The government was required to complete the project by providing the balance funds. The final installment of Rs 24 crore was to be reimbursed by GoI on receipt of the Utilisation Certificate for the entire project cost of Rs 98.70 crore. As the government did not release a balance of Rs 24 crore to the implementing agencies for the completion of the works of the project, it could not furnish a utilization certificate of the entire sanctioned amount of the project. Thereby the claim of reimbursement of the balance amount from GoI could not be preferred.
Records reveal that the assets thus remained incomplete and government could not avail funding to the extent of Rs 24 crore.
Furthermore, J&K Cable Car Corporation Limited released in July 2017 Rs 78 lakh to J&K Housing Board for the execution of sub-project ‘Development of tourist facilities around Khusalsar Lake’. However, no works were executed by the Board as the area was not identified/ demarcated by the Project Authority. As a result, the subproject was dropped in February 2019 by the GoI. As per the utilization certificates submitted in November 2018 to GoI of India, an expenditure of Rs 82 lakh was shown incurred, thereby incorrectly reporting the expenditure to the GoI. Therefore, not only funds were lying with the implementing agency in Bank Account, but also the expenditure incurred was not reduced from the reported figures in August 2020. The risk of misappropriation of the Government money exists in such a situation, documents claim.
The official documents reveal that subsidiary accounts and the audited statements of accounts were required to be prepared and submitted to higher authorities. However, as per the records, ten executing agencies revealed that the same was not being done. The executing agencies are Dy. Director (M&W) Jammu and Srinagar, Surinsar-Mansar Development Authority, Rajouri Development Authority, Poonch Development Authority, Floriculture Department, SKICC, Gulmarg Development Authority, J&K Housing Board (Unit-II); and LAWDA. |
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