UT needs to recover Rs 36 lakh from Punjab: Audit report
The Director General of Audit (Central) office has stated the UT Hospitality Department needs to recover an expenditure of Rs 36.99 lakh from the Punjab Government. The amount was incurred on two vehicles used by the Punjab Raj Bhawan.
An audit team conducted the audit and prepared an inspection report on accounts of the office of the Director, Hospitality Department, UT Guest House, Sector 6, for the period from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2024. The UT Guest House, located between the two Raj Bhawans in Sector 6, has 51 rooms and 17 suites. The guest house provides hospitality to state guests, VIPs, VVIPs and government officers while they are on tour, duty or holiday.
According to the report obtained under the RTI Act by activist RK Garg, the Home Department of the UT Administration had allotted two vehicles wide order dated November 14, 2011, to the Director Hospitality, State Guest House, for the protocol pool.
During checking of records of the office of the Director Hospitality, State Guest House, for the period of 2022-23 to 2023-24, it was observed that two vehicles were placed at the disposal of the Punjab Raj Bhawan with effect from July 22, 2013. Further, scrutiny of records revealed that all expenses relating to these vehicles on account of fuel, repairs and maintenance amounting to Rs 23,83, 457 during the period from 2016-17 to 2023-24 was incurred by the UT Guest House, which were to be borne by the Punjab Government, as these vehicles were being used by the Punjab Raj Bhawan.
Further, the same objection was pointed out in the previous inspection report for 2015-16 with Rs 13.16 lakh (Rs 1.25 lakh for 2015-16 and Rs 11.91 lakh before that period) expenditure on the two vehicles.
The two vehicles were condemned and auctioned as per letter dated January 31, 2017, and two new ones were provided.
It was observed that the total expenditure amounting to Rs 36.39 lakh has been incurred by the UT Guest House on the vehicles for the period 2025-16 to 2023-24. “As such, expenditure incurred by the UT Guest House was irregular and needs to be recovered from the Punjab Government,” stated the report.
