Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
Notice (8): Undefined variable: urlPrefix [APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp, line 8]latest-news-updates/cag-sees-fraud-in-transfer-of-central-funds-to-up-by-atiq-khan-9403.html"/> LATEST NEWS UPDATES | CAG sees fraud in transfer of Central funds to UP by Atiq Khan | Im4change.org
Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

CAG sees fraud in transfer of Central funds to UP by Atiq Khan


Even as the Opposition parties' allegations of financial bungling in implementation of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in Uttar Pradesh have pushed the Bahujan Samaj Party regime on the back foot, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has warned that direct transfer of funds from the Central Government to the State's implementing agencies is “fraught with the risk of their improper utilisation by these agencies”.

The CAG report on the finances of the U.P. government for the year ended March 31, 2010, tabled in the State Assembly notes that Rs.13,710.19 crore was transferred directly to the State agencies by the Centre in 2009-10 for implementation of various Central schemes. In 2008-09, the figure stood at Rs.13,781.71 crore.

A significant increase of Rs.1,131.08 crore from Rs.4187.78 crore in 2008-09 to Rs.5,318.86 in 2009-10 was under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), followed by an increase of Rs.151.48 crore from Rs.1,657 crore in 2008-09 to Rs.1,808.67 crore in 2009-10 under NRHM, the CAG report says.

If the allocation of funds under NREGS and NRHM went up, the allocation under Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, Total Sanitation Campaign and Indira Awas Yojana in 2009-10 decreased as compared to the previous year, the CAG report says.

According to the CAG, State implementing agency includes any organisation, institution, including NGOs authorised by the State government to receive funds from the Central government for implementation of specific programmes. In Uttar Pradesh, the NRHM funds are received by the State Health Society of U.P., Lucknow, which was the implementing agency of the programme, the CAG says. The State implementing agency for NREGS is the Commissioner, Rural Development.

‘Poor oversight'

The CAG report says the direct transfer of funds from the Centre to the State implementing agencies runs the risk of poor oversight of the utilisation of funds. The report says that since there is no agency monitoring the use of funds and readily available data on how much is actually spent in a particular year on a flagship programme, a system has to be put in place for proper accounting.

“Unless uniform accounting practices are followed by the State implementing agencies with proper documentation and timely reporting on expenditure, it will be difficult to monitor the end-use of these direct transfers. Besides, it inhibited the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act requirement of transparency in fiscal operations and thus bypasses accountability”, the report adds.