CAG raises concern over possibility of funds ‘misappropriation’ for girls hostels

Srinagar: Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) have raised concern about the possibility of “mis-utilization” or “mis-appropriation” of differential amount sanctioned for construction of seven girls’ hostels of the Jammu and Kashmir Higher Education Department.

According to the report-02 of 2021 of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), “Against the sanctioned amount of Rs 50 Crore for construction of seven Girls Hostels in Government Degree Colleges (GDC) total amount of Rs 33.81 Crore was released by UGC.”

CAG said that out of this, Rs16.67 Crores was spent for seven girls’ hostels as of September 2020.

“The Director Planning, Higher Education Department, stated that Utilization Certificates (UCs) were issued on the basis of work done which included material brought on site of work,” CAG said.

It further reads, “The reply is not tenable as the actual expenditure incurred included material booked in advance by the executing divisions and therefore UCs submitted were inflated.”

“Further, as the differential amount was still lying in the Bank Accounts of the GDCs, the possibility of “misutilization” or “misappropriation” in future cannot be ruled out,” CAG said.

The Director Planning, Higher Education Department in a reply to CAG has stated that the construction of three girls’ hostels in Jammu Division was nearing completion, which was however, not supported by documents in the case of two GDCs.

“The reply is not acceptable as none of the girls’ hostels taken up for construction in the four degree colleges which were required to be completed by February-2018, had been completed even after 31 months from the original date of completion, and having a provision of pre-engineered structures in the DPR for expeditious completion,” CAG said. (Rising Kashmir)