Moa Jamir
“It is a matter of grave concern that these malpractices (cases of excess/fraudulent drawal) persist despite being highlighted in past audit reports,” the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India observed in its latest report on the Government of Nagaland.
The CAG faulted the State Government for not taking “any corrective action to strengthen the controls to obviate such misappropriation of Government money by DDOs (Drawing and Disbursing Officers) and Treasury Officers.”
Besides noting that an amount of Rs 4.94 crore involving such cases of fraudulent/double/excess drawal for the year ended March 31, 2019 was yet to be recovered, the CAG informed five previous five audits have also reported such cases involving Rs 20.22 crore.
“Blatant and widespread failure of the DDOs and Treasury Officers in complying with the provisions under Central Treasury Rules and Receipt and Payment Rules indicates possible collusion for fraudulent drawals,” the CAG said in another significant observation. The CAG’s report on “General, Economic and Revenue Sectors for the year ended 31 March 2019 (Report No.2 of 2020), Government of Nagaland’ was tabled before the State Legislature on August 5.
Though a matter of acute consternation for many advocating for good governance, the findings and observations were not surprising, and simply bears out the ‘State’ of affairs that corruption at various, continues with impunity in Nagaland.
For instance, every year the CAG Reports on ‘State Finances Audit Report’ (SFAR) and ‘Audit Report on Social, Economic, Revenue and General Sectors,’ highlighting several anomalies and observations involving various departments, governmental agencies and autonomous bodies are presented at the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA). However, discussions are seldom held on the floor of the House while responses from the general public are lukewarm, at best.
To reflect, CAG’s Report No.1 of 2020 on SFAR presented in February this year also highlighted 36 cases of misappropriation, loss etc involving Rs 218.56 crore for the year ended March 31, 2019. While Rs 2.67 crore has been recovered, an amount of Rs 215.89 crore was still pending final action by 18 departments.
“Utilization Certificates (UCs) were not furnished in 187 cases involving Rs 760.72 crore since the last one to eight years,” the report added, further recommending the State Government to “enforce strict compliance to the timelines of UCs by the recipients” as well as initiation of action against erring officials.
Even the NLA’s Public Account Committee (PAC) 2020-2021, the committee to which CAG Audit Reports ‘stand permanently referred to once tabled in the House along with Committees on Public Undertakings (COPU) for scrutiny, observed in February that “amount involved in cases of misappropriation, loss etc. of Government’s money in the State is “alarmingly high.”
The PAC also commented that the Government seems to be taking a “lenient approach” in dealing with “these cases and also in many financial areas.” It further viewed the non-submission of UCs on time as a “matter of major concern” and urged “all departmental officers to make effort to comply with financial rules, procedures and directives which would lead to good governance in the State.”
‘Chidings’ from the CAG, as well as the topmost legislative panel-PAC or COPU, constituted for every audit, evidently are not producing any changes. That the Committee made the observations on matters pertaining to 2014-2015 & 2015-2016 CAG Audit Reports goes to demonstrate the continuity of the disquieting impunity. It further exhibits how impunity in social and political spheres, have been ingrained into governance.
The State Government needs to demonstrate its lofty goals of ensuring transparency and accountability in governance by acting decisively on various corrupt malpractices and curtailing political expediency that impedes such actions. The state of affairs also calls for the appointment of a new Nagaland Lokayukta at the earliest.
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