CAG raps state for poor work in LWE-hit areas

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Bhubaneswar: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in its general and social report for the year ending March 2016, has come down heavily on the state government for improper implementation of special intervention programmes for the development of Left Wing Extremism-affected districts in Orissa.
The CAG reports, tabled by Finance Minister Sashibhusan Behera in the Assembly, said “Special intervention programmes in the areas of development, security and rights recognition were not implemented properly.”
“Planning under Integrated Action Plan (IAP) and Additional Central Assistance (ACA) for LWE-hit districts was deficient due to late preparation of annual action plan, inclusion of inadmissible projects and giving least priority to skill development and livelihood initiatives,” the audit report said. It also pointed out that there was a shortfall of Rs 163.88 crore budget to LWE-affected areas.
It said management of funds under the special intervention programmes was deficient mostly because of irregular diversion of funds, non-refund of savings and loss of Central assistance of Rs 497.43 crore.
It said the programme implementation was marred due to delayed execution of works. “In all, 64 project works were left incomplete despite spending Rs 8.89 crore while 43 projects were taken up with an expenditure of Rs 6.20 crore that remained unused because of inadequate inspection and monitoring.”
The CAG highlighted poor execution of security-related works in LWE-hit areas by Orissa Police Hosing and Welfare Corporation Limited. “Four security hubs, 20 barracks, staff quarters and approach roads to security camps taken up during 2007-2011 were left incomplete after spending close to Rs 15crore,” the CAG said in its report.
“At Koraput and Bhamini, security forces were staying in dilapidated and incomplete buildings for years without basic amenities,” it said, adding, “Anti-Naxal support equipment was neither supplied nor available in the fortified police stations (test-checked by the CAG).”
Further, the CAG report said there was delay and non-payment of ex gratia to the families of deceased security personnel and civilian victims. “No mechanism was put in place to track the surrendered ultras to ascertain their integration with social mainstream,” it said. PNN