E-Paper
Audit raises objection to ₹21cr spending by Chandigarh forest dept
As per the audit report, an unauthorised payment of ₹47.77 lakh was made to a security agency for outsourcing its services without executing a legal contract with it
Auditors discovered irregularities in the ₹21.42 crore spent by the Chandigarh forest and wildlife department between April 2019 and March 2020, an RTI reply has revealed.
The audit was carried out by the office of principal director of audit (central) which had sent a report to the department on October 28, 2020, seeking the latter’s response in six weeks.
As per the audit report, an unauthorised payment of ₹47.77 lakh was made to a security agency for outsourcing its services without executing a legal contract with it. Moreover, in case of some eight tenders, where the total bid amount was ₹18.89 crore, the minimum turnover condition was not met by any of the three bidders. Execution without fulfilling the prescribed terms and conditions led to void contracts, the report stated.
Against 10 sanctioned posts, the department employed 33 people, including four extra clerks, two peons, eight drivers, four supervisors and five security guards, with their wages amounting to ₹46.94 lakh in excess expenditure. Due to the planning of an unrealistic budget, excessive saving of ₹1.32 crore was done. The report stated that excessive savings or underutilisation of funds led to parking of funds which could have been utilised for other government functions.
While the procurement of goods and services by ministries or departments is mandatory through the government e-marketplace (GeM), it was found that an all-in-one pc, a sofa set, RCC pipes and outsourcing of some other services totalling to ₹11.78 lakh was done outside of the GeM portal. It was also found that one employee, an accountant, was drawing two conveyance allowances per month and an amount of ₹31,000 had been wrongfully paid.
Non disposal of unserviceable items which had been lying unused for over nine years in the stores also cost the department ₹14.90 lakh. This included various items like bicycles, barbed wires and lawn mowers among other items, the report stated.
Apart from the fiduciary irregularities, the report pointed out that there was a non-deduction of uncommuted pension from hired ex-servicemen, improper maintenance of form number 7 and service books; non-physical verification of consumables and fixed assets; and some other general irregularities.
While the report mentions that a response to these objections is awaited, deputy conservator of forests Abdul Qayum said a brief reply had been sent by the department already. “If it is not deemed satisfactory, a detailed response will be prepared and sent,” he said without elaborating on what had been said in the brief reply.
Social activist RK Garg, who filed the RTI, said, “The department frequently violates the rules, and the authorities must take strict note of this. How were contracts worth ₹18.89 crore were voided and ₹2.44 lakh spent just on a sofa set needs to be examined.”
