CAG report tabled on the last day of the state legislature's winter session stated that non-submission of UCs under the Bombay Financial Rules, 1959, carries the risk that amounts reflected in the Finance Accounts may not have reached the intended beneficiaries
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. File Pic
Several departments of the Maharashtra government have failed to submit utilisation certificates (UCs) for grants-in-aid of thousands of crores, even as they rushed to incur a bulk of their expenditure in the closing month of 2024-25, says CAG, reported news agency PTI.
The Housing Department figured prominently on both counts.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report tabled on the last day of the state legislature's winter session on Sunday stated that non-submission of UCs under the Bombay Financial Rules, 1959, carries the risk that amounts reflected in the Finance Accounts may not have reached the intended beneficiaries, reported PTI.
As on March 31, 2025, UCs of Rs 1,77,319.84 crore related to 52,876 cases were outstanding. During 2024-25, the government cleared UCs amounting to Rs 1,37,222.25 crore in about 40,047 cases, the report said.
Among the major defaulters, the Urban Development Department led with pending UCs of Rs 11,040 crore, followed by the Planning Department (Rs 5,805 crore), Water Resources Department (Rs 3,602 crore), Housing Development Department (Rs 2,839 crore) and Social Justice and Special Assistance Department (Rs 2,640 crore), reported PTI.
The audit also flagged a rush of expenditure in March 2025, in contravention of the Bombay Financial Rules, which advise against bunching of spending at the end of the financial year. It said 18 departments incurred expenditure exceeding Rs 100 crore in March alone, accounting for more than 25 per cent of their total annual spending.
The Housing Department recorded the sharpest year-end surge, with 90 per cent of its total expenditure incurred in March, followed by the Environment and Climate Change Department (77 per cent), Planning Department (65 per cent), Minorities Development Department (53 per cent) and Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department (50 per cent), the CAG said, reported PTI.
Haffkine procurements leave Rs 2,226 crore Advance Contingent bills unadjusted: CAG
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government routed routine procurement of medicines and medical equipment through the state-run Haffkine institute using Advance Contingent bills, leaving 559 bills worth Rs 2,226.32 crore pending for adjustment at the end of 2024-25, CAG has said, reported PTI.
Advance Contingent (AC) bills are a type of government bill used to draw money in advance for urgent or unforeseen expenses, when it is not practical to wait for detailed bills or vouchers.
According to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), tabled on the last day of the winter session of the state legislature on Sunday, "pending AC bills accounted for 63.03 per cent of the total AC bills, in violation of Rule 282(2) of the Maharashtra Treasury Rules, which bars withdrawal of funds unless required for immediate disbursement", reported PTI.
The report identified the Medical Education and Drugs Department as the biggest defaulter with Rs 2,212 crore of Detailed Contingent (DC) bills pending, followed by the Public Health Department (Rs 770 crore), Home Department (Rs 266 crore) and Planning Department (Rs 120 crore).
A Detailed Contingent (DC) bill is a government bill submitted after spending money drawn through an AC bill to account for and regularise that expenditure.
The CAG said that the government routed routine procurement of medicines and medical equipment through Mumbai-based Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceuticals Corporation Limited using AC bills, leaving 559 bills worth Rs 2,226.32 crore pending for adjustment at the end of 2024-25, reported PTI.
(With inputs from PTI)
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