CAG slams Civil Aviation Security bureau

The CAG in its report for the year 2008-09 has detected defalcation of revenue collected through stamp duty and registration fees. Significantly, it has been pointed out in the report that such omissions on the part of the officers concerned continued in spite of this being pointed out in consecutive CAG reports.

Referring to a test check of the records of the district sub-registrar, Banka, in September, 2008, the CAG detected that a sum of26.22 lakh shown as deposited in Banka treasury under Stamps and Registration Fees and Land Revenue heads between October 16, 2002 and February 10, 2006, were not entered in the treasury receipt schedule as well as the bank scroll for the concerned period.

The report noted that the treasury officer, Banka, also confirmed on September 26, 2008, that the amount of26.22 lakh was not deposited in the government account by the district sub-registrar, Banka, and failure of the district sub-registrar, Banka, to reconcile the departmental figure with the treasury figure resulted in defalcation of revenue of26.22 lakh.

When the case was pointed out by the PAG (audit) team, the district sub-registrar, Banka, and district registrar, collector, Banka, accepted the fact of defalcation and intimated in December 2008 that a FIR was lodged against three departmental officials along with three officials of the State Bank of India (SBI) in this connection.

The departmental proceedings too was said to be initiated against them. The IG (registration) also confirmed it. Further developments in the case and particulars of recovery of the government revenue was awaited till January 2010. The case was reported to the government in April 2009 their reply has not been received till January 2010.

The CAG has also reported the blocking of revenue due to non-disposal of referred cases. As per government rules, all the collectors are required to return all the cases pertaining to determination of the market value of property registered and the proper duty payable thereon within stipulated period of 90 days.

The PAG (audit) team found that as many as 261 cases were referred to the respective collectors for determination of the market value of the property during the period 2004-08 by the offices of five district sub-registrars and the two offices of sub-registrars. The audit team found all these cases were pending till the date of audit resulting in blocking of revenue amounting to63.26 lakh.

Surprisingly, replies to these queries were silent on the point of reasons for non-pursuance of these cases till these were pointed out by the PAG (audit) team. No report came either from the collectors concerned or from the state government till January 2010, said the report.

Days after anti-corruption watchdog CVC levelled corruption charges against organisers of the Commonwealth Games, government auditor CAG began vetting the Games' expenditure.

However, it would submit a report by March 2011, well after the October 3-14 Games.

"CAG has started the audit work for CWG-related work payments, contracts and leasing of sports equipment among others. We should be able to submit the report by March 2011," Rekha Gupta, Additional Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General, told reporters here.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had in August 2009 submitted an evaluation report to the Prime Minister's Office and the sports ministry pointing out the slow pace of progress of all the projects connected with the Games.

The games is in the thick of allegations of corruption ranging from favouritism in award of contracts to expensive hire of equipment for training and inflation in costs of building contracts.

Besides, an inspection by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has found serious discrepancies like award of work at higher rates to bidders, poor quality of construction and grant of work to ineligible agencies for various Commonwealth Games-related construction projects.

"The CAG would take into account the records prepared by the agencies (CVC, Enforcement Directorate) regarding the work they did. We would see how the balance between the cost and quality has been maintained," an official in the CAG said.

The official noted that despite the award of Games- related work in 2003, no activity was undertaken till 2006.

"Countries get 7 years for putting things in order, testing and verifying and finally for training. There has been a execution delay and lack of preparedness is evident now," he said.

The CAG study last year had also highlighted that all the projects would struggle to finish on time.

As per international guidelines, all CWG projects were to be completed by May 2009 and the last year should have been kept for trial runs.