The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in its latest report (agriculture wing), for the year ended March 31, 2011, has slammed the state agriculture department for non compliance with the financial and treasury rules.
In the audit scrutiny report, CAG revealed that drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs) have failed to manage the available funds economically and efficiently. It stated that funds were spent without any budgetary allocations, while funds were parked in zero interest bearing accounts.
During 2006-11, out of Rs 1107.29 crore funds available with 55 DDOs for different schemes under implementation and pay and allowances, Rs 233.05 crore remains unutilized as on March 31, 2011.
51 out of test checked 55 DDOs, contrary to the prudent financial management practices, had parked scheme funds of Rs 32.79 crore in current accounts of banks instead of depositing the same at the interest yielding accounts.
The executive engineer, central zone, Bhubaneswar, as on March 31, 2011, has retained maximum scheme funds worth Rs 10.33 crore in the current account. In addition the executive engineers (agriculture) of Sambalpur and Berhampur have held Rs 8.22 crore
and Rs 2.26 crore respectively. CAG audit report uncovered that the deputy director of agriculture (DDA), Bolangir has parked Rs 1.31 crore in zero interest bearing accounts.
“ Keeping government money in current account of banks entails yearly loss of interest amounting to Rs 1.31 crore( at the rate of four per cent per annum) applicable to savings bank account”, CAG maintained in its report.
Earlier, CAG was sore over the fact that land acquisition officers (LAOs) had kept advance land acquisition compensation money, amounting to Rs 2,016.69 crore, in bank accounts, instead of depositing it as civil deposits under a government account.
The audit report also unwrapped that advances worth Rs 74.34 crore were outstanding for more than one to 32 years .The outstanding advances included Rs 61.72 crore pertaining to the office of Director of Agriculture.
As per rules, advances granted for departmental and allied purposes were to be recovered within one month from the date of advance.
