| Adivasi welfare exposed in Jharkhand - CAG targets fraud NGOs, detects funds misuse |
The CAG has pulled up the Madhu Koda government for under-utilising and at times misusing crores of rupees it had received over the years for tribal welfare — a damning indictment for a state that prides itself on the slogan “tribal first”.
Tabled in the Assembly recently, the report not only detected fraudulent use of funds by NGOs but also pointed out that the government used only Rs 85.55 crore of the Rs 183.84 crore it had received during 2003-07.
Meant for use in 112 of the 214 blocks covered under the Centre’s integrated tribal development project, the unused funds were parked in banks. The interest it earned, the CAG revealed, was used to repair official buildings.
The CAG’s findings are based on its assessment of tribal hamlets in 44 blocks in Chaibasa, Chakradharpur, Jamshedpur, Khunti and Ranchi.
According to the CAG, Rs 2.19 crore was given to three NGOs — Srijan Mahila Vikash Manch (Rs 1.01 crore), Indira Adivasi Mahila Vikas Sanstha (Rs 43 lakh) and Pradan (Rs 75 lakh) — for executing water harvesting horticulture schemes and micro-lift irrigation projects in Chakradharpur, Chaibasa and Khunti.
“These NGOs did not submit vouchers, measurement books, muster rolls etc in support of the work they carried out. In fact, two NGOs — Srijan Mahila Vikash Manch and Indira Adivasi Mahila Vikas Sanstha — were unregistered and had no experience in these matters,” the CAG found out.
The CAG concluded that since basic accounting norms were not followed, “defalcation of Rs 2.19 crore by the three NGOs could not be ruled out”.
The CAG also found out that Pradan had created community assets worth Rs 74.84 lakh on private land, thereby benefiting undserverving individuals.
The CAG has also castigated the state government for constructing nine hostels for tribal students at a cost of Rs 4.36 crore in private institutions when rules mandated that the state provide free land so that it retains control over these hostels.
The hostels came up in the premises of XISS, Ranchi; St. Xaviers College, Ranchi; Bundu Women's College, Bundu; Cambridge Institute of Technology, Tatislway, Ranchi; Mission School, Vijaygiri ST Tamar; St Baranbas Hospital, Ranchi; St John Boys High School, Nawatanr; St Joseph High School, Torpa and Ursuline Convent Girls High School, Simdega.
The CAG has also detected wasteful expenditure of Rs 86.08 lakh as around 126 schemes for constructing ponds and irrigation wells were abandoned midway.
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