From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: The Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) has retained a heavy cash balance besides delayed remittance of revenue during 2003-04, revealed the Comptroller Auditors General of India.
The CAG in its report said the JHADC retained a cash balance of Rs. 5.39 crore as of March 31, 2004 against Rs. 4.53 crore during the preceding year.
“Retention of huge cash in hand instead of in the Personal Ledger Account (PLA) had not only reduced the Government’s balance with the Reserved Bank of India, but also increased the possibility of misappropriation of the Council’s funds”, the CAG report said adding “such retention of huge cash in hand and delays resulted temporary misappropriation of the District Council fund”.
In 2003-04, the JHADC had collected Rs 1.45 crore — Rs 68.50 lakh from taxes on vehicles, Rs. 54.74 from weigh-bridges, Rs 13.41 lakh from Land Revenue, Rs. 4.59 lakh from royalty and other forest produces and Rs 3.32 lakh from rent on fishery.
Out of the total amount collected, only Rs. 33.34 lakh was deposited in the PLA maintained with the Jowai Treasury. The remaining Rs. 1.12 crore remained a balance with the Council besides the revenue amounting Rs. 43.14 lakh realized by the Nazir of the Council from various sources was remitted in the Treasury after delays ranging between four months and 25 months.
The retention of revenue outside the PLA was contrary to the Rule 18 of the Jowai Autonomous District Fund Rules, 1967, which says that all money received by the cashier on account of the Council shall be promptly remitted in the Treasury.