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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | CAG raps MHA for avoidable spend

CAG raps MHA for avoidable spend

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published Published on Sep 6, 2011   modified Modified on Sep 6, 2011

-The Times of India

 

Picking holes in some decisions made by the home ministry, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has pointed out that the ministry had incurred an "avoidable expenditure" of more than Rs 9 crore by flying helicopters from Delhi to the North-East and Jammu and Kashmir to aid its troops deployed in operations.

Besides, it has also rapped the ministry and its police wireless wing for incurring an "avoidable expenditure" of Rs 13 crore towards spectrum charges for Multi Access Radio Telephones (MART).

The CAG, in its latest report tabled in Parliament, said six MI-17 helicopters purchased by the home ministry at a cost of Rs 125.29 crore in 2003 were parked at Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi, instead of being "optimally utilized for meeting its operational requirement in North-East and Jammu & Kashmir areas".

The purchase of six helicopters for BSF without ensuring necessary infrastructure to position them at the desired locations, pilots to fly them and staff to handle its operations resulted in idling and sub-optimal use of these helicopters, besides avoidable expenditure of Rs 9.18 crore and continued dependence of BSF on IAF for its operations, the CAG report said.

The report, titled 'Procurement without planning', said the BSF choppers made 39 sorties from Delhi to these areas and clocked 542 flying hours in the process. These helicopters were procured for tasks like carrying troops for counter-insurgency operations, checking infiltration and gathering intelligence in the North-East and J&K.

The CAG said: "The contention of the ministry that there was no additional financial implication on account of delay in construction of hangars is not convincing. The BSF (air wing) in response to a specific audit query had replied that the licence fee and conservancy charges pertained to six helicopters stationed at Safdarjung Airport."

The report added: "The helicopters would have been shifted to the designated bases had timely construction of hangars been ensured."

It said the BSF had to station the helicopters in Delhi, instead of parking them at their designated locations of Srinagar, Jammu, Bhuj, Assam and Tripura as the BSF could not find suitable land for the purpose in these areas.

Rapping the ministry's police wireless wing for incurring an "avoidable expenditure" of Rs 13 crore towards spectrum charges for MART, the CAG said the project has failed to deliver even eight years after award of work.

MART is an essential component for the functioning of the police network, also called POLNET.

"The reply (from the Directorate of Coordination Police Wireless) confirms the audit conclusion of the failure of the ministry to undertake feasibility study to assess the suitability of the MART technology with reference to the existing locations of police stations and embarking on the project without ensuring the availability of site readiness," it said.

The Times of India, 7 September, 2011, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/CAG-raps-MHA-for-avoidable-spend/articleshow/9890466.cms


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