Dimapur, April 7 (EMN): Despite the explosive nature of most of its contents, the annual report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India tabled in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly tends to go the way of the old chestnut.
Even this year, the Naga public hardly raised an eyebrow even as the CAG report has pointed out numerous distortions in checks and balances. The collective nonchalance, coupled with the crowning achievement of having installed an “oppositionless” government, has in turn given the elected representatives and the bureaucrats a free run.
Technical Education
According to the latest CAG report, the officials of the state’s department of Technical Education had indulged in activities that amounted to undermining of legislative financial control.
“An amount of Rs 5.08 crore received as compensation from National Institute of Technology (NIT) for the standing building and land was not deposited into government account and was irregularly diverted bypassing the legislative financial control and accountability,” the report read.
Department records, according to the report, had revealed that 300 acres of land meant for “office complex campus of deputy commissioners” at Chumukedima along with existing infrastructure was given to the NIT by the state government in January 2012. An amount of Rs 5.08 crore was paid by the director of NIT to the commissioner and secretary, department of Higher and Technical Education.
“It was observed that the money received as compensation for the land and buildings was not accounted in the cash book of the director of Technical Education nor was it deposited into government account. On further scrutiny of records, it was noticed that the cheque received by the commissioner and secretary, department of Higher and Technical Education was deposited (18 July 2013) in State Bank of India (current account 30045675060) of director of Technical Education, Nagaland.
“The entire amount was transferred (27 July 2013) to Axis Bank (current account 912010060359987) of director of Technical Education, Nagaland and was again transferred (12 August 2013) to another account in the same bank (913020035971224). None of these accounts were opened with the concurrence of Accountant General as required under extant rules.” the report revealed.
Further, it stated, the official had used the amount for execution of 13 works without obtaining sanction from Finance department, when it should have been remitted to government account. The report noted that the state government’s reply to the CAG was silent on the ‘gross violation of the extant rules’ committed by the official.
Health and Family Welfare
The director of Health and Family Welfare had also made a payment of Rs 36.66 lakh without procuring medical equipments for which the money was meant, the CAG report revealed.
“The director of Health and Family Welfare paid Rs 36.66 lakh without actual supply/procurement of seven medical equipment(s). Besides, the department paid Rs 17.19 lakh for two items not sanctioned by the competent authority”.
The CAG report also noted that the department had submitted incorrect utilisation certificate to the North Eastern Council “for the entire amount of Rs 1.75 crore”.
The state’s department of Tourism has also been reported to have indulged in “misutilisation/ misappropriation” of government revenue.
“An amount of Rs 50.74 lakh received as compensation from National Highway Authority of India through the Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur, was not deposited into government account and thus the possibility of the amount being misutilised/ misappropriated could not be ruled out,” the report stated.
It reported the department as replying that “Rs 25 lakh was utilised during the departmental trip to China for attending International Travel Mart and the whereabouts of the balance amount remain unknown to the department and the case is under investigation by the state vigilance commission.”
The department’s, reply, it stated, was not acceptable “as government revenue should be deposited into the account of the government and its appropriation should pass through the regular process of budgeting and appropriation by the Legislature.”
Nagaland is yet to implement Gender Budgeting or gender-responsive budgeting, a tool for promoting women’s equality and empowerment, revealed the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its report on state finances for the year ended 31 March 2016. The CAG report was presented in the State assembly by the Chief Minister Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu.
Although the State government has been highlighting that it has incorporated Gender Budgeting in its various departments, many government officials, when asked about it earlier, appeared to have little or no knowledge of what Gender Budgeting really is. Now, with the CAG bluntly pointing out that Gender Budgeting had not been implemented in the state, the State government will have to relook into what it had been harping about.
The Constitution of India mandates equality for every citizen of the country as a fundamental right and the government of India has made international commitments in- the Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1980; World Conference on Human Rights in 1993; International Conference on Population and Development in 1994; Fourth World Conference of Women in 1995; and Commonwealth Plan of Action on Gender and Development in 1995, about the action to be taken for improvement in the life of women.
Gender Budgeting serves in identifying the felt needs of women and reprioritising and/or increasing expenditure to meet these needs, supporting gender mainstreaming in macroeconomics, strengthening civil society participation in economics, enhancing the linkages between economic and policy outcomes, and helps in contributing towards the attainment of Millennium Development Goals. It also helps in tracking public expenditure against gender and development policy commitments.
