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Chandigarh Police’s bills, vouchers worth ₹84 crore missing: CAG
Director general of audit (central) holds press conference, expounding inaction by Chandigarh Police despite pointing out ‘shocking details’
Chandigarh Police’s bills and vouchers amounting to a whopping ₹84 crore went missing between 2017 and 2020, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has pointed out in an audit report.
Despite being made aware of the “shocking details”, police have remained silent on these irregularities and have done nothing in this regard, said Sanjeev Goyal, director general of audit (central), while addressing the media on Friday.
The CAG report, which also found “glaring irregularities” in the working of certain public departments under the Chandigarh administration, was submitted to UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit on March 6.
Audit for 2017-2020 period
Goyal said the special audit for the 2017-2020 period was conducted in 2020 on the request of the then UT director general of police (DGP) .
“The audit of salaries and other allowances that were being given to employees under the E-Sevaarth application was conducted. All employees of the police department are registered on the E-Sevaarth application, where employees are enrolled with all details of their pay and allowances, and shocking details have been found. The audit recommends action against the erring officials and responsibilities be fixed for lapses in the disbursement of pay and allowances,” he said.
“Bills and vouchers amounting to ₹84 crore were not produced to audit. Following that, no detail (regarding the amount) has been found. Despite pointing it out...the department is silent on these irregularities. In October 2021, our department was informed that the matter has been referred to the crime branch. But nothing has been done in this regard,” Goyal added.
Police department’s annual budget for salaries is around ₹400 crore.
Core team behind scam arrested: DGP
Current Chandigarh DGP Praveer Ranjan said it was an old case and police themselves requested the special audit. “An FIR has already been registered in the matter and we have also arrested eight people. The main chargesheet, along with two supplementary chargesheets, has been filed,” he said.
The DGP added that departmental action had also been initiated against the accused police personnel. “The core team behind the scam, including destruction of vouchers, has been arrested. Maximum amount siphoned off by way of undo benefits has already been recovered by Chandigarh Police,” he said.
A statement issued by Chandigarh Police also stated that the amount involved in the scam had been recovered, while not mentioning the exact recovery.
The statement added that through investigation, Balwinder Kumar, head constable (HC) Ved Parkash, HC Naresh Kumar, constable Rajbir Singh, assistant sub-inspector Vinod Kumar and home guards volunteer Surjit Singh had been arrested. Further investigation was underway on day-to-day basis, it said.
UT adviser Dharam Pal said he will be holding a meeting with the officers concerned in this regard.
Audit’s findings
Among the various irregularities pointed out by the CAG audit are transfers of unwarranted amounts to the accounts of police personnel in lieu of medical bills, leave travel allowance, house rent allowance despite allotment of government accommodation, handicapped allowance, personal pay, computer advance, ration allowance, kit maintenance allowance, city compensatory allowance, etc.
For instance, an amount of ₹89.58 lakh on account of pay arrears and ₹9.97 lakh on account of LTC leave encashment was paid to 51 personnel, but their bills and vouchers were not produced to audit
Six personnel appointed on compassionate grounds were entitled only to fixed monthly emoluments or DC rates but were paid full pay and allowances, resulting in excess payment.
Even a couple of retired employees were continuing to draw salaries, while many cops drew funds in lieu of allowance that was not even admissible to them.
Major audit findings
An amount of ₹89.58 lakh on account of pay arrears and ₹9.97 lakh on account of LTC leave encashment was paid to 51 personnel, but their bills and vouchers were not produced to audit
42 cops were paid ₹7.3 lakh for allowance which were not admissible to them. The police department has recovered the entire amount
Six personnel appointed on compassionate grounds were entitled only to fixed monthly emoluments or DC rates but were paid full pay and allowances, resulting in excess payment of ₹28.57 lakh. Out of it, only ₹4.20 lakh have been recovered
In case of 68 police personnel, entries regarding earned leave/medical leave/maternity leave/absentee, etc., were not made, resulting in inadmissible payment of ₹19.34 lakh
12 personnel continued to draw house rent allowance even after allotment of government accommodation, leading to irregular payment of ₹9.98 lakh. The department has recovered ₹6.48 lakh.
Leave encashments for LTC drawn multiple times for the same block year, resulting into excess encashment of ₹7.47 lakh
Excess/irregular/inadmissible payment on account of pay and allowance, retirement benefits, handicapped allowance, personal pay, computer advance, ration allowance, kit maintenance allowance, city compensatory allowance, interim relief, etc., amounting to ₹3.86 lakh, of which ₹2.93 lakh have been recovered
As many as 485 personnel, recruited during 2019-20, were being paid at DC rates, but NPS contributions amounting to ₹96.97 lakh was not deducted.
