SHILLONG, Sep 3: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has indicated non-submission of as many as 454 utilisation certificates (UCs) amounting to Rs 3,436.01 crore by various departments of the state government.
307 of these UCs amounting to Rs 2,373.51 crore is overdue from previous years in addition to 419 UCs amounting to Rs 2,086.07 crore which became due in 2022-23, the report said.
Out of this, only 37.46% (272 UCs amounting to Rs 1,023.57 crore) were submitted. Further, 14 UCs amounting to Rs 1.28 crore for grants disbursed in 2022-23, which will become due in 2023-24, were also submitted in 2022-23.
Thus, total 286 UCs amounting Rs 1,024.85 crore were submitted.
The number of outstanding UCs is 47.88% higher than last year and 44.76% more than last year in terms of the amount of the outstanding UCs.
According to the CAG report, a total of 1,060 UCs amounting to Rs 7,460.84 crore (454 UCs amounting to Rs 3,436.01 crore and another 606 UCs amounting to Rs 4,024.83 crore) are yet to be submitted as on March 31, 2023.
Major defaulting departments which have not submitted UCs and their percentage out of total outstanding amount under Grants-in-Aid are Community and Rural Development Department (40.63% of 21,396.93 crore), Health and Family Welfare Department (22.80% of 783.55 crore), Education Department (12.89% of 443.00 crore), and Welfare of SC/ST, OBC & Minorities Department (6.13% of 210.58 crore).
The CAG pointed out that in the absence of UCs, it could not be ascertained whether the recipients had actually utilised the grants and whether it had been utilised for the purposes for which the grants were disbursed.
Further, in the absence of UCs required to be submitted by the departments, assessing the status and progress of the scheme’s implementation, for which funds have been disbursed, is not feasible, the CAG said.
“The substantial backlog in the submission of UCs poses a significant risk of potential fraud and misappropriation of funds,” the CAG said while asking the state government to monitor this aspect closely and go for review disbursement of further grants that are not in compliance to prescribed conditions and timelines with respect to furnishing of UCs to the Finance Department as well as Principal Accountant General (A&E).
