Norms for release of discretionary grants violated
SHILLONG: The MLAs did not submit utilisation certificates in respect of discretionary grants of Rs 10.73 crore in violation of the scheme guidelines.
This was stated in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for the year ended 2018 and placed during the special session of the Assembly on Thursday.
According to the report, the state Parliamentary Affairs department on February 5, 2010 issued guidelines for implementation of discretionary grants to all the 60 MLAs.
As per the guidelines, the allocation of funds for discretionary grants would depend on the amount sanctioned by the government and may vary from year to year depending on availability of funds.
The grants were meant for meeting the immediate requirements of the beneficiaries depending on their economic conditions and needs. The operation of the grants was at the discretion of the MLAs.
The sanctioned amount of discretionary grants was to be placed at the disposal of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Secretariat for disbursement to all MLAs as per their entitlement.
The Assembly Secretariat was also responsible for keeping accounts
of expenditure incurred on discretionary grants.
As per the guidelines, the release of grants for the subsequent year would depend on submission of the utilisation certificates (UCs) by the MLAs.
The amount to be distributed to each beneficiary was not to exceed Rs 1500 in each case.
“Each MLA has to compile the list of beneficiaries and the amount distributed to each of them during the year and issue a certificate to that fact. The consolidated statement is to be submitted to the secretary of the Legislative Assembly. On receipt of such utilisation certificates and the applications/actual payee receipt (APR), the secretary of the Legislative Assembly has to ensure that the expenditure incurred complies with the requirement of these guidelines”, the report said.
According to the report, during the four year period- 2014-15 to 2017-18, the Parliamentary Affairs department sanctioned Rs 11.40 crore as discretionary grant to the 60 MLAs.
Scrutiny of records of the Assembly Secretariat in February 2018 revealed that out of the 60 MLAs to whom the discretionary grants were released, only six MLAs submitted UCs for Rs 0.67 crore for the years 2014-18 against Rs 11.40 crore released during the same period. The UCs for the balance amount of Rs 10.73 crore were not submitted by the MLAs even as of December 2018.
Despite the MLAs not submitting the UCs, the secretary of the
Assembly continued to release the grants even during the subsequent years.
“No action was taken to withhold further release of grants and ensure submission of UCs as per the provisions of the prescribed guidelines”, the CAG said.
Further, even the UCs/APRs submitted by the six MLAs for the years 2014-18 revealed some irregularities as none of the MLAs who
submitted UCs adhered to the monetary limit of Rs 1500 per beneficiary as per guidelines.
Moreover, out of six MLAs, four either did not submit APRs or submitted only partial APRs in support of the expenditure in violation of the guidelines.
They are John Leslee Sangma (2017-18), Michael T Sangma (2014-15 and 2015-16), SC Marak ( 2014-15 and 2016-17) and Sanbor Shullai (partially during 2015-16 and fully during 2016-17)
According to the report, no action was taken by the secretary of the Assembly either to enforce adherence to the monetary limit or for submission of APRs by the MLAs as required by the guidelines.
There was also nothing on record to show that the secretary of the Assembly had taken action to seek enhancement of the monetary limit set by the guidelines.
After it was pointed out in November 2018, the secretary replied in December that the Assembly secretariat had written to the
MLAs to furnish the UCs as early as possible and that the matter of enhancing the monetary limit of Rs 1500 per beneficiary has been taken up with the government.
“The response does not address the issue as to why guidelines for implementation of discretionary grants were not complied with and why he( Assembly secretary) continued to irregularly release the grants without obtaining UCs/ APRs of previously released funds from the MLAs”, the report said.