GUWAHATI: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India have rapped Assam government for unsatisfactory compliance with various rules, procedures and directives.
In its report on state finances for year ended March 31, 2014, for Assam, which was laid in the state Assembly on Tuesday.
The CAG informed the sources that, “State government’s compliance with various rules, procedures and directives was unsatisfactory as was evident from delays by various departments in furnishing utilisation certificates against loans and grants received by them.”
The CAG further said there were delays in submission of annual accounts by some of the Autonomous Bodies/Councils and annual accounts in respect of a large number of government bodies/authorities due up to 2013-14 were not received by it.”
There were instances of loss and misappropriation which remained unsettled with various departments for period ranging from one to 25 years,” the CAG report said.
The report further said the fiscal position of the state viewed in terms of key fiscal parameters – revenue deficit, fiscal deficit and primary deficit, etc., indicated that, except during 2009-10, the state had maintained revenue surplus during the last five years.
The fiscal deficit of the state at 2.33 per cent was also lower than 3 per cent of GSDP, the limit prescribed under the Assam Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2011.
Revenue receipts for 2013-14 grew by Rs 1522 crore (5 per cent) over the previous year and the overall revenue expenditure of the state increased by 50.69 per cent at an annual average rate of 10.13 per cent. During 2013-14, the development expenditure increased by 18.11 per cent over the previous year.
There were 109 incomplete projects which were due to be completed by March 2014and as a result Rs 384.76 crore was blocked.
Cash balances of the state government decreased drastically from Rs 6620 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 4528 crore in 2013-14.
The overall fiscal liabilities of the state greatly increased at an over all average annual rate of 4.15 per cent during 2009-14.
