Dimapur, February 18 (MExN): Terming the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India’s pulling up of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Nagaland for “fraudulent payment due to short/ non-execution of drainage works” under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), as appalling, the Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) demanded inquiry into the findings.
It also called for action regarding other discrepancies outlined in the CAG report for the year ending March 30, 2020, including the approval for the construction of community sanitary complexes (CSCs) at higher rates."
To this end, it asked the State Government not to remain mute for indefinite period of time and initiate inquiry headed by chief secretary or retired judge and fix responsibility against officials responsible for allowing higher rate and failure to exercise due diligence.
Such attitude will not solve the issue of corruption in the state, it asserted.
The Forum further appealed the general public not to accept corruption as an established institution but boldly voice out against it.
It further maintained that NPRAAF would meet the prime minister and the home minister soon to apprise of the “massive corruption in the State” in almost every department and demand principal investigating agencies to establish office in Nagaland to neutralise corruption.
According to the forum, the CAG report noted that the Executive Engineer, PHED (Urban) Dimapur Division did not exercise due diligence to check correctness of quantities executed before passing bills for payment.
This resulted in fraudulent payment of Rs 90.54 lakh without actual execution of 2,338 metre of drainage works in 18 villages, it said, citing the report.
Under SBM (Gramin), a total of Rs 501.10 lakh was allocated to the Executive Engineer (EE), PHED (Urban), Dimapur, it said.
Out of the total fund of Rs 5.01 crore, Rs 4.03 crore was earmarked for implementation of SLWM including drainage and the Department constructed 6,540 metre of drainage with bricks in 35 villages, 29 involving an amount Rs 2.53 crore as departmental work.
Scrutiny of the Cash Books, Work Orders, Running Account Bills (RA Bills), MBs etc of 21 villages out of 35 villages revealed that 4,665 m of drainage (with bricks) was constructed and certified as complete (March 2019) by the Junior Engineer (JE), PHED and an expenditure of Rs 1.81 crore was incurred (March 2019).
The completion of the work was also countersigned by the SDO, PHED and Executive Engineer.
However, Joint Physical Verification (JPV) in February 2021 by the Audit along with departmental officials, Village Council Chairman/WATSAN (Water and Sanitation) committee members and beneficiaries of 21 villages found that only in three out of 21 villages, construction of 600 m drainage with bricks with an expenditure of Rs 23.23 lakh was done as per work order, it added.
In the remaining 18 villages, the JPV revealed that against the reported construction of 4,065 m drainage with an expenditure of Rs 1.57 crore, only 1,727 m with an expenditure of Rs 66.87 lakh, was actually constructed. This had resulted in short/ non-executions of 2,338 m.
In reply, the Government stated in January 2022 that the shortfall in drainage length was due to flash flood/natural calamity which washed off certain portion of the drainage and in some villages drainage work was underway at the time of verification.
Regarding, non-construction of drainage, the Department stated that the drainage works were delayed and was underway at the time of verification.
According to the NPRAAF, the CAG said that the reply is not acceptable as the works were certified by the JE PHED as completed (March 2019) and was also countersigned by the SDO and EE.
“Moreover, the villages in Dimapur are located in plain areas which are not hilly and there is no sign of wash away or landslides. The Department also did not specify either the quantity or location of wash off area. Furthermore, no sign of wash off or work underway was seen and revealed during JPV,” it added.
In another case involving the PHED, the CAG reported that the department made excess payment of Rs 1.23 crore to a contractor by allowing higher rate over the State Government approved rate (Action Plan) for construction of CSCs, it said.
The Director, Water and Sanitation Support Organisation (WSSO), PHED approved construction of 74 CSCs, at the rate of Rs 2.48 lakh per unit instead of Rs 1.80 lakh approved by GoN, the NPRAAF said.
Accordingly, the CAG noted that the Director “arbitrarily allowed” higher rate leading to excess payment of Rs 50.32 lakh, it pointed out.
Despite higher rates, the report found that these CSCs “lacked sanitation facilities as provisions for washing basin, urinal pan, water syntax with stand, etc., were not constructed/ provided,” it added.
The JPV, as per the CAG, found in July 2019 that in six out of 74 CSCs, WATSAN committee members and the Village Council revealed deviations from the approved drawing/ specifications, it added.
Deviations from approved design and specifications resulted in reduction of quantities in certain item of works resulting in excess payment to the contractor to the tune of Rs 72.70 lakh, the JPV noted.
According to the Forum, as per the CAG, the matter was reported to the State Government in August 2021, and a reply is awaited as of May 2022.
