CAG detects irregularities in PMAY-G, Jal Jeevan Mission, MGNREGA implementation in Jharkhand

Over 6.32 lakh eligible households remained uncovered under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) due to deficient planning.

Major irregularities were detected in the performance audit of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), Jal Jeevan Mission and MGNREGA in Jharkhand, according to the latest CAG reports tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday.

A discrepancy between the NREGASoft portal data and the certified financial accounts maintained by the department was detected in the report on implementation of MGNREGA. (Representative Image (HT_PRINT))

Over 6.32 lakh eligible households remained uncovered under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) due to deficient planning.

"The state identified 22.34 lakh eligible households by November 2022 under the scheme. However, inaccuracies in the priority list, inability of the state to utilise the targets and a two-year delay in finalising Awaas beneficiaries resulted in the Centre allocating only 16.02 lakh houses. As a consequence, 6.32 lakh eligible households could not be covered under the scheme," the report on implementation of PMAY-G in Jharkhand said.

The state sanctioned 15,92,124 houses from 2016 to 2024 and constructed 15,62,249 houses as of January 2025, it added.

"Financial management under the scheme was inadequate. Total expenditure under PMAY-G in the state was ₹14,113 crore against the total available funds of ₹20,199.98 crore with funding utilisation ranging between 55 and 83 per cent from 2019 to 2024," the report said.

The report on implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) said that the "state government approved 98,067 schemes under JJM at an estimated cost of ₹24,360 crore. Of these, 97,535 schemes had been taken up for execution at an agreed cost of ₹24,665.29 crore".

"However, only 27,249 schemes could be completed as of December 2024," the report stated.

There were 52,27,214 rural households in Jharkhand when the scheme was launched in August 2019. Of these, 3,45,165 households had already been covered with tap water connections.

"As of March 2025, as many as 34,31,115 (55 per cent) out of 62,53,471 households had been provided with functional household tap connections (FHTC). The FHTC coverage in the state was, however, below the national coverage of 80 per cent," the report added.

A discrepancy between the NREGASoft portal data and the certified financial accounts maintained by the department was detected in the report on implementation of MGNREGA.

Besides, wages to unskilled labour amounting to ₹321.84 crore for the period from 2019-20 to 2023-24 were outstanding, it added.

"Out of total 1,02,68,484 works proposed to be executed during 2019-24, only 27,96,044 (27 per cent) were completed and 50,21,492 (49 per cent) were lying incomplete as of March 2024 after incurring an expenditure of ₹2,633 crore," the report added.