State Finance Report Reveals non-utilization of funds

Pothashang News Service

Imphal, January 6, 2018: State Finance Account and Appropriate Accounts report 2016-17 has hinted of non-utilisation  of demand for grants funds due to excessive budgeting or lack of monitoring of fund by the government departments.

Accountant general (A and E), D. Jaisankar yesterday said the departments could not submit UCs either due to misuse of funds or lack of proper financial accounts while releasing Appropriation Accounts and Finance Accounts of the fiscal year 2016-17 at office of the accountant general, here.

Talking to reporters, Jaisankar revealed the non-utilisation of funds analyzing the annual accounts which are summary statements of accounts under the consolidation fund, contingency funds and the public accounts. The accounts are presented in two volumes, he added.

Public works departments did not utilise 26.66 percent of the fund allocated, education department 18 percent, agriculture 49.30 percent, community and rural development 30.05 percent, general economic service and planning 85,55 percent, minor irrigation 47.41 percent, irrigation and flood control department  24.75 percent and social and welfare department 35.34 percent.

In abstract contingent (AC) bills out if Rs. 347.96 crore drawn against AC bill in 2016-17, AC bills amounting to Rs. 100.35 crore were drawn in March 2017 alone. Out of which Rs. 48.81 crore was drawn on the last day of March 2017 alone, said Jaisankar.

He said amounts drawn in March were indicative of the fact that the likelihood of actual expenditure of such drawls within the financial year was remote and withdrawals were made mere to avoid lapse of appropriation.

923 detailed countersigned contingent (DCC) bills amounting to Rs. 1708.50 crore pertaining to the period 2003-17 were outstanding as on March 31, 2017. Delayed submission or prolong non-submission of supporting bills renders the expenditure under AC bills opaque, and susceptible to misuse.

The appropriate accounts show that in the year 2016-17, there was actual expenditure of Rs. 10,652.06 crore, comprising of Rs. 8,213 crore on revenue accounts, Rs. 1, 493.57 crore on capital accounts, Rs. 1, 144.97 crore for repayment of debt, and Rs. 0.25 crore as loans and advances given by the State. There were savings under revenue and advances with reference to total grants allocated by the state legislature.

Of the total amount of Rs. 5067.15 crore which UCs could not be submitted so far, Rs 1893.14 crore were sanctioned in 2014-15, Rs 1458.98 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 1715.03 crore in 2016-17. Jaisankar underscored the need for the Government to pay extra attention into the matter.

Abstract Contingent (AC) Bills for 2016-17 amounting to Rs 1708.50 crore which should be converted into Detail Countersigned Contingent (DCC) Bills could not be converted till date.

This is a serious issue and the Government needs to streamline the way different departments have been utilising funds, said Jaisankar. There are altogether 923 AC Bills which could not be converted into DCC Bills which include These include 666 Bills for the financial year 2014-15, 121 for2015-16and 136 for 2016-17 .

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