After mid-day’s report on CAG’s questioning the expenditure, Nana Patole has written to the state chief secretary to probe the matter and take action
Alleging that government officials connived to misappropriate an amount Rs 71,563 crore from the state coffer, without giving the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) any record of it, a BJP MP has sought a high-level inquiry by the vigilance department into the spending, and demanded corrective action.
For each and every rupee spent from state kitty, it is mandatory to submit a utilisation certificate (UC) to the state wing of the CAG, which is tasked with keeping a check on government expenditure. The state has, however, failed to submit UCs for Rs 71,563 crore. The non-compliance has been going on since the financial year 2004-05.
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There is no trace of the funds, or evidence of their being employed for the designated cause. As such, there is the possibility of misuse and embezzlement of funds, Nana Patole, who represents Gondia-Bhandara in Lok Sabha, claimed in his letter to chief secretary Swadhin Kshatriya a few days ago. mid-day had reported on the alleged scam in its October 14 edition (‘Scam in the making? State has no account of Rs 71,563 crore spent by it’).
In a report submitted to the state legislature in June 2014, the CAG had pointed out gross financial irregularities in the state’s accounts. Subsequently, Maharashtra government issued orders asking its various departments to submit all the UCs before December 31. Apart from the inquiry, the state should confiscate properties of the officials concerned, Patole has demanded.
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