Assam Fails to Submit Utilization Reports From 2001-2012

62 departments of Assam state government would not submit Utilization Certificates (UCs) of an amount of Rs 9,943.42 cr from the year 2001-2002 to 2011-2012, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India said.

The CAG said 18,202 Utilisation Certificates (UCs) due in respect of grants aggregating Rs 9,943.42 cr paid to 62 departments of the Assam State Government during the period from 2001-2002 to 2011-2012 were in arrears.

The recent report of CAG, which was tabled in the Assam state legislative assembly said out of 18,202 UCs worth Rs 9,943.42 cr pending as of March 2012, UCs (16,773 Numbers) involving Rs 5,769.84 cr were pending for more than three years.

“Pending of UCs mainly pertained to Education Department (12,477 UCs: Rs 636.40 cr), Health Department (367 UCs: Rs 350.57 cr), Industries and Commerce Department (391 UCs: Rs 177.22 cr), Panchayat and Rural Development Department (168 UCs: Rs 1,087.58 cr), Rural Development Department (165 UCs: Rs 1,952.14 cr), Social Welfare Department (478 UCs: Rs 838.77 cr) and Welfare of Plain Tribes and Backward Classes (724 UCs: Rs 1,454.60 cr),” the report said.

Out of the 62 departments, 24 departments even failed to submit UCs in respect of grants released to them during the period 2001-02.

In the absence of the UCs it could not be ascertained whether the recipients had utilized the grants for the purposes for which these were given.

Meanwhile, the report revealed that 255 cases of misappropriation, defalcation etc., involving Government money amounting of Rs 75.29 cr (upto March 2012) were found on which final action was pending.

In the case of fiscal liabilities of Assam state government, the CAG said the overall fiscal liabilities of the State increased at an average annual rate of 8.80 per cent during the period 2007-12.

During the current year, the fiscal liabilities of the State Government increased by Rs 1,804 cr from Rs 29,693 cr in 2010-11 to Rs 31,497 cr in 2011-12. Although the ratio of fiscal liabilities to GSDP has decreased from 28.55 per cent in 2010-11 to 27.29 per cent in 2011-12,” CAG said in the report.

Hemanta Kumar Nath

Hemanta Kumar Nath is a correspondent in Assam, India, who reports on local news in Assam, the north east Indian state.