CAG raps Environ Ministry for unspent provisions

CAG raps Environ Ministry for unspent provisions
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, JUNE 15: The Comptroller and Auditor General has pulled up the Environment Ministry for ending up with large unutilised budgetary provisions and upbraided it for "slackness in implementing its schemes and activities".

"The unspent provision under revenue section increased from six per cent in 1996-97 to 26 per cent in 1998-99, which is indicative of unrealistic budgetary assumption and slackness in implementing the schemes/activities of the Ministry," the CAG report to Parliament for 1998-99 noted.

Detailing the overall budgetary provision during 1996-99, the report said while the unutilised provision under revenue section was Rs 32.73 crore in 1996-97, it was Rs 212.81 crore in 1998-99.

This was despite the fact that in all the three years, large amounts of disbursements were made in the month of March to avoid surrender of unspent provision.

"Since the funds released to the various organisations in the month of March cannot be constructively spent during the year, it is not possible to conclude whether the funds were applied for the purpose for which these were authorised," the CAG report noted.

The report listed as many as 16 schemes and sub-heads affected by large unspent provisions, including wildlife preservation, both phases of Ganga Action Plan, Taj Protection Mission, Pollution Control Projects and Environment Impact Assessment Programme.