CAG pulls up state govt in report

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 28

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India pulled up the Jammu and Kashmir Government in its report tabled in the Legislative Assembly yesterday.

The report has pointed out certain lacunas and embezzlement of funds in various departments.

The CAG report has pulled up the Police Department, Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency, Forest Department, Skill Development and Employment Generation of Unemployed Youth and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Limited.

Addressing a press conference here today, Accountant General (Audit), Jammu and Kashmir, Khalid Jamali pointed out many lacunas in the Police Department in terms of not having its own building, non-availability of interrogation rooms, separate toilets for women and bullet-proof vests.

“There are 18 police stations and 103 police posts without own buildings in the state. Out of Rs 394.30 crore incurred on construction works, only Rs 18.10 crore (3 per cent) was incurred on construction and repair of police stations during the period of 2004 to 2014,” said Jamali.

In eight districts, the CAG found that life saving equipment like body protectors and bullet-proof vests were not available with 64 police stations.

The AG, Audit, J&K, said from March, 2003, to March, 2012, encroachment of forest land increased by 88 per cent from 9,214.53 hectares to 17,352 hectares.

The J&K Government had set up the State Overseas Employment Corporation (SOEC) in October, 2009, with a target of facilitating 7,000 jobs within five years. “But the government has not been able to provide a single placement despite allotment of Rs 5.58 crore to the corporation since 2009-10. Out of this, Rs 64.57 lakh had been incurred on salary and administrative expenses of corporation employees,” Jamali said.

Even the government has not provided voluntary service allowance to educated employed youth, which resulted in a liability of Rs 35.97 crore.

In the Small Scale Industries Development Corporation, Rs 57.64 crore were allotted to various contractors, Ghulam Nabi Malik and Faroq Ahmad Ganai, on selective basis without inviting tenders and issuing any formal allotment letters.