*Legislature fails to get feedback of financial performance
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 16: Notwithstanding the fact that they are getting substantial funding from the State Budget, five autonomous bodies of Jammu and Kashmir including two Agriculture Universities are dilly-dallying on ensuring audit of their respective accounts by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. Moreover, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil have never submitted their accounts for audit ever since their formation several years back.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India enjoys enough powers under Section 19(3) and 20(1) of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971 enacted by the Parliament to carry out performance audit and compliance audit of the departments/autonomous bodies.
However, a total of 384 annual accounts of 31 bodies were awaited in Audit as on March 31, 2015. Seven autonomous bodies required to be audited by the CAG under these provisions of the Act had also not furnished the annual accounts.
Of these, five autonomous bodies-Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Srinagar, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir Legal Services Authority, Srinagar, EPF Board, Srinagar and Jammu and Kashmir State Housing Board are adopting dilly-dallying approach in getting their accounts audited by the CAG.
This is evident from the fact that there is a delay of one to two years in respect of Agriculture Universities in furnishing accounts to the CAG for audit while as delay with regard to Legal Services Authority has been pointed out at one to three years. Similarly, the CAG has pointed out delay ranging between one to 12 years in respect of EPF Board and one to five years with regard to State Housing Board in furnishing accounts for audit.
This is notwithstanding the fact that Agriculture University of Srinagar received Rs 100.54 crore grants during 2014-15 while as SKUAST-J received Rs 59.48 crore worth grants during 2014-15 financial year.
The LAHDC Leh, which received Rs 199.40 crore worth grants and LAHDC Kargil which was given Rs 204.82 crore worth grants have virtually conveyed that they don’t believe in scrutiny of accounts as they have not shown any compliance to the mandatory provisions till date.
Stating that the audit of LAHDC Leh and LAHDC Kargil has been entrusted to the CAG of India, annual report of the supreme auditor of the country said, “Leh Hill Council has failed to submit accounts for audit since its inception—1995-96 although substantial sums are being released to the Council and unspent balances at the end of the year remain credited in a non-lapsable fund in the Public Account of the State”.
“Same is the position in respect of Kargil Hill Council, which came into existence in the year 2004-05 and the accounts are in arrears since inception”, the report said, adding “non-submission/delay in submission of accounts by these bodies receiving substantial funding from the State Budget is a serious financial irregularity persisting for years”.
In view of the non-compliance, the audited accounts of these statutory bodies have not so far been presented to the State Legislature as required under the Statutes under which these bodies were created. This has deprived the State Legislature to get a feedback on their activities and financial performance.
“In this way, these autonomous and statutory bodies are not only undermining the authority of the CAG but also the State Legislature”, sources remarked, adding “the major area of concern is that those heading these bodies never tried to ensure that accountability is ensured in utilization of grants being received from the State”.
Even in its previous reports, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had expressed serious concern on this aspect but no step has so far been initiated to ensure compliance to the mandatory provisions so that clear picture comes out vis-à-vis utilization of grants.
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