Indian
Express: Mumbai: Saturday, 06 December 2014.
Government
efforts are on to fast-track relief measures for farmers affected by the
drought during kharif 2014 but issues related to utilisation of central funds
for drought relief in 2012 are yet to be resolved. This was revealed in the
reply to a Right to Information (RTI) query.
Documents
obtained under the RTI Act show that several districts have not submitted
expenditure details and certificates for funds utilised, a mandatory procedure.
The documents also point out cases of mismanagement of funds in Nashik and
Jalgaon districts.
A weak
monsoon in 2012 had led to a drought, which was severe in revenue division of
Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad and Vidarbha. Records show that the central government
approved Rs 778.09 crore for drought relief. The money was released in 2013 and
used by the state government to set up fodder camps and take up other
mitigation measures. The state government had also started schemes to ensure
drought-affected villages get water.
One of the
conditions set by the central government before releasing money to the state
government was monthly filing of expenditure details. However, during an audit
of the office of the additional chief secretary (Revenue and Forest Department)
it was found that the state government failed to adhere to this condition. The
matter cropped up when the Auditor General of Maharashtra made the audit.
As per the
report, the state government disbursed Rs 684.29 crore in 2012-13 for setting
up fodder depots and animal sheds in various districts. An advance of Rs 675
crore was drawn from the contingency fund for animals and Rs 38.50 crore, Rs 23
crore and Rs 3.5 crore disbursed to divisional commissioners of Pune, Nashik
and Aurangabad respectively. The divisional commissioners were asked to submit
monthly expenditure statements by the 10th of every month.
“On scrutiny
of relevant records, it was noticed that neither any expenditure details nor
any utilization certificates were obtained by department from the
districts/divisions concerned,” the report read.
In the case
of Jalgaon, auditors noticed that Rs 123.50 crore of the Rs 157.42 crore
sanctioned had been released. The auditor pointed out that the money was
disbursed, although in a letter dated
March 23, 2013, the Jalgaon district collector had stated there were no
drought-affected villages in the district. “While informing the government
about the situation for 2011-12 and 2012-13, collector Jalgaon stated there
were no villages whose ‘paisevari was 50 paisa peksha kami (the term for
declaring drought),” the report read.
Allegations
of mismanagement of funds meant for drought-affected villages were raised by
the then opposition parties. Senior administrative officers associated with
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the matter will be looked into.
.JPG)
.JPG)
