Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 5: Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma has handed over the case of irregularities worth several crores of rupees in the Communication and Capacity Development Unit (CCDU) to the Crime Branch for in-depth probe and criminal action against those involved in the large scale bungling.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that department of PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control has submitted the report of the departmental committee that conducted enquiry into the misappropriation of funds in the Communication and Capacity Development Unit to the Crime Branch yesterday for further probe and action against all those involved in the irregularities.
The departmental enquiry committee, which was constituted on February 2, 2013 to look into the working of the Communication and Capacity Development Unit, has established large-scale irregularities in execution of programme and incurring of expenditure.
It is pertinent to mention here that the CCDU is responsible for developing State specific information, educate and communicate strategy for reforming initiative in water and sanitation, improve capacity development of functionaries at different level, address water quality issues, monitor water quality by taking random samples, ensure sanitation and hygiene, conduct door to door campaign and create awareness among the masses on water hygiene.
Sources said that when the issue of irregularities worth crores of rupees in CCDU figured in the Legislative Council during the Budget Session-2013, the Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma assured the Chairman of the Legislative Council to submit the report of departmental enquiry committee for the consideration of the House.
“Chairman of the Legislative Council, after going through the report, had stated that prima-facie the irregularities have been established as such the case should be handed over either to the Vigilance Organization or the Crime Branch for further probe and criminal action against all those involved in the misappropriation of funds worth crores of rupees”, sources said.
According to the report of the departmental enquiry committee, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR, only one NGO named WEMTEP based at Jharkhand had been assigned the responsibility of conducting almost all activities of the programme in the State thereby creating a sort of dominance/monopoly. This had already resulted in to slackness and casual approach in execution of the programme.
“As against the suggested manpower, only one Executive Director and one State Coordinator were engaged to run the working of the CCDU for obvious reasons, which resulted into adverse impact on the implementation, monitoring and achievement of the objectives of the programme”, the report said.
Stating that Sarpanchs, Panchs and members of the Panchayati Raj Institutions were not educated on the importance of the programme despite being clearly defined in the guidelines, the report said, “village water sanitation committees, which were required to be constituted under the guidelines and claimed to have been formed, were not active in the respective areas for furthering the basic motive of developing awareness and consciousness among the village folks regarding importance and necessity of safe water consumption and sanitation for development of a healthy society”.
Pointing towards allowing 60% of the total approved amount as advance payment to the NGO, the enquiry committee has suggested that experts in the field of accounts should be engaged by the Government to prepare/check the accounts of the CCDU.
“The CCDU has not engaged any account knowing person to prepare/check the accounts and advise on financial and other related matters, which resulted into large scale irregularities”, the report said, adding “even no tax has been deducted from the payments made to the NGO”.
“It appears that irregularities in execution of programme and incurring of expenditure have been committed as such no further payment may be released in favour of the agency till all the shortcomings in the execution of the programme and expenditure are removed/set right in accordance with the guidelines and instructions issued from time to time by the competent authority while releasing the funds”, the committee has recommended.
“In order to have in depth checking of the expenditure incurred and to ensure that all the stake holders have been involved for execution of the programme, detailed, independent and full time enquiry and audit of accounts is required to ascertain whether the expenditure shown to have been incurred by the CCDU is reasonable, justified and covered under the rules and execution of the programme has been carried out strictly in accordance with the norms”, the committee said.
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