*Mis-utilization of funds post-Sept 2014 floods detected
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 4: In Jammu and Kashmir, which is prone to all sorts of disasters because of its climatic conditions and topography, an amount of Rs 342 crore meant for disaster mitigation measures has been found diverted towards ineligible works and Rs 42.24 crore spent in contravention of Special Plan Assistance conditions. Moreover, there is no focus on strict implementation of State Disaster Management Policy and making the State Disaster Management Authority fully functional.
These revelations have been made by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in its report on performance audit of disaster management in Jammu and Kashmir for the year ended March 31, 2016, which was presented in the State Legislature today in accordance with the provisions of Constitution of India.
While putting expenditure of Rs 1369.16 crore made by the Government and various agencies from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) from 2010-11 to 2014-15 to audit, the CAG has noticed that an amount of Rs 342.43 crore (almost 25 percent) was diverted from sanctioned works and projects towards ineligible works and even incurred on account of excess payments or for procurements at higher rates. Moreover, an amount of Rs 62.88 crore was found unutilized during the audit.
Pointing towards the expenditure of Rs 1000 crore provided for re-building damaged infrastructure in October 2014 under the Special Plan Assistance (SPA), the CAG said that an amount of Rs 42.24 crore was spent in contravention of the laid down conditions and for the purposes not related to re-building of the damaged infrastructure.
As far as pre-disaster preparedness and management is concerned, the CAG has found gaps in establishment and functioning of institutional mechanism, formulation of policy and plans and meeting the requirements of pre-disaster management activities that inhibited the ability of the State Government to prepare and implement cohesive disaster management plans, which would have enabled rapid response to disasters and mitigate their impact.
Pointing towards the State Disaster Management Authority, which was established in April 2007, the CAG said that Authority was not provided full time members and its meetings were being convened rarely. “The State Advisory Committee responsible for making recommendations on issues relating to disaster management had not been constituted”, the report said, adding “the State Disaster Management Policy approved in February 2012 had not been fully implemented and no Disaster Management Authority had been constituted at the divisional level”.
Stating that Government has not taken adequate and appropriate measures for pre-disaster preparedness and management, the report said, “State Disaster Response Force is short of the sanctioned strength and available personnel are deployed for duties not connected to disaster relief. Moreover, majority of the personnel don’t have training in disaster management”, adding “even no assessment of hazards, vulnerabilities and risks in the State conducted and no risk maps for 13 multi-hazard districts prepared despite release of Rs 20 lakh for the task”.
About post-disaster activities and management, the CAG has pointed that an amount of Rs 26.52 crore was released from the SDRF during 2010-14 for relief and restoration without declaration of disaster in terms of State Disaster Management Policy. Moreover, an amount of Rs 31.44 crore was released to different sectors that were not eligible for assistance.
An amount of Rs 37.08 crore released to seven Deputy Commissioners was found lying in their bank accounts and Rs 1.02 crore was not accounted for in the cash book of Deputy Commissioner Leh raising risk of mis-utilization, the report said, adding “Rs 5 crore were released to State Government from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for procurement of one lakh blankets for distribution among flood affected families remained unutilized”.
Referring to relief, rehabilitation and provision of basic services through the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) following floods of September 2014, the CAG said, “4,467 tents valuing Rs 2.84 crore procured by J&K Entrepreneurship Development Institute remained undistributed and 536 tents valuing Rs 34.04 lakh were missing in transit from Srinagar to Anantnag and Budgam”, adding “though the J&K Industries Ltd was authorized to procure blankets, the same were also procured by other agencies and offices such as DCs of Anantnag, Jammu, Srinagar and Udhampur as well as SSP Kathua and the Divisional Commissioner Jammu involving higher rates of procurement”.
Moreover, assistance for household goods and clothing amounting to Rs 12.60 crore due to at least 46,680 eligible households were not provided while gratuitous relief of Rs 1.42 crore was disbursed to families, which were not affected by the floods. “In addition, expenditure of Rs 1.30 crore incurred by the PWD on lifting of garbage, clearance of drains etc in Srinagar could not be verified by audit as the same was also reported to have been done by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation”, the report said.
In another glaring example of mis-utilization of funds following floods of September 2014, the CAG said that an amount of Rs 14.46 crore was spent for the purposes not related to re-building of the damaged infrastructure such as removal of silt from nallahs, purchase of POL, payment of wages to office casual staff or on construction of works not sanctioned under Special Plan Assistance.
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