Delhi govt sitting on over Rs 2,000 crore

Savings, claims govt; unused funds, counters auditor general.

Lack of funds is often cited as a major hindrance for not carrying out developmental works, but a whopping Rs 2,303.02 crore that could have been used to upgrade infrastructure was left unused by Delhi government, a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has said.

Though the government said it managed to save Rs 2,303.02 crore in 2010-11, the CAG said the savings indicated slackness in implementing schemes and pointed to deficient financial management.

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“A provision of Rs 100 crore was made for ordinary pensions but the entire amount remained unspent,” said the CAG.

For instance, under the Jawahar Lal Nehru national Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme, a budget of Rs 645 crore was made to purchase 1,500 DTC buses. But only Rs 219.34 crore was released and the target could not be achieved.

Also, Rs 502 crore was allocated to provide essential services in unauthorised colonies but 74% of the funds weren’t utilised due to slow implementation.

The CAG said utilisation certificates — mandatory as they indicate whether grants have been utilised as per plan — have still not been submitted.

Till March 2010, 4,492 grants amounting to Rs 14,642.12 crore were released. However, out of these, utilisation certificates amounting to Rs 13,117.35 crore were still awaited from various bodies.

The CAG further observed that even in cases where certificates have been submitted, the government reported many cases of misappropriation, loss and theft.