SHILLONG: The State Government is yet to submit as many as 126 utilization certificates (UCs) of schemes with a total estimate value of Rs.50.28 crore till March 31 last year.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its report for the financial year 2013-14 pointed out that 10 departments or organisations were yet to submit a total of 126 utilization certificates for an aggregate amount of Rs.50.28 crore as of March 31, 2014.
The defaulters included Education department, Shillong Municipal Board, District Council Affairs department, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Directorate of Higher and Technical Education, KHADC, North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project (NERCORMP), Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Sericulture and Weaving department and Directorate, Urban Affairs.
The period of delay in submitting utilization certificates varied from one year to seven years.
According to the CAG, out of the 126 UCs, three certificates pertaining to NERCORMP involving Rs.37.50 crore were pending for over two years.
“In the absence of utilization certificates it could not be ascertained whether the recipients had utilized the grants for the purposes for which the funds were given,” the CAG observed in its report.
Concern over direct transfer of funds
The CAG in its report also expressed concern over large amount of money being given directly by the Centre to the State implementing agencies.
“Such direct transfers from the Union Government to the State Implementing Agencies run the risk of poor accountability. As such, the State Government may institute a mechanism for centralized monitoring of utilization of funds, the CAG observed.
Funds flowing directly to the implementing agencies through off-budget route inhibit fiscal responsibility legislation requirements of transparency and therefore escape accountability, it said.
During the year 2013-14, the Centre transferred approximately Rs.992.54 crore directly to agencies in Meghalaya for implementation of various schemes/ programmes without routing the amount through the State Budget, the CAG added.
