Notice to Agnivesh over unspent funds

Govt says organisation has not returned unused money after conducting survey. HT reports.

The Delhi government has issued a show cause notice to Swami Agnivesh, chairman, Bonded Labour Liberation Front for alleged fudging of bills and not returning unused money allocated to the organisation for conducting a survey.

The revenue department of the Delhi government has asked the organisation to reply within 10 days.

“An amount of Rs 18 lakh was released to the Delhi government as grant-in-aid by the ministry of labour and employment for conducting a survey of bonded labourers in nine districts of the national capital under the centrally sponsored scheme during 2004-05. The organisation submitted a utilisation certificate in 2007 wherein they spent only Rs 15.76 lakh and the remaining money has still not been paid to us and has been kept in bank,” said a senior official.

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The government through the notice has asked the organisation to refund the balance amount of Rs 2.23 lakh.

“The survey was conducted in Delhi but the bills submitted by them for transportation and food are from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. How is that possible? We have asked them to explain,” said the official.

Moreover, the findings of the survey were released in the form of a booklet which the officials say was being sold at Rs 100.

“No permission was taken from the Delhi government for selling the booklet,” added the official.

When contacted Swami Agnivesh said: “I have already replied to the government about the entire issue. However, I have not received any new show cause notice so far. Once I do, I will reply to that.”