Jan. 12: Adding to the charges of gross irregularities in functioning of the Assam government, the CAG suspects a misappropriation of whopping Rs 2361.76 crore in 15 departments of the Assam government in between 2002-2010.
In its latest report (No. 5) for the first time, on internal control and risk management, the CAG has detected fraud and embezzlement of fund from the state’s exchequer in 19 offices of seven departments. It includes cases of embezzlement of Rs 1.46 crore in the name of counter insurgency operations in the NC Hills district where the AG in a special audit had unearthed a scam of Rs 400 crore in the autonomous council.
A copy of the CAG report, in possession of this newspaper, said, “Audit findings relating 15 departments of the state government revealed weak financial discipline and in absence of supervision of monitoring has aggravated the risk of failure of the system. This has lead to misappropriation, defalcation, loss of government funds, fictitious and wasteful expenditure besides extra avoidable and unproductive expenditure.”
The CAG, which detected glaring instances of embezzlement of fund meant for the scholarship to the school children, has charged the state government for making payment of contractors’ bill in excess of legitimate dues for the reason yet to be explained by the authorities.
Though government has confessed majority of the cases by assuring to get back the money from contractors and officials but till August 2010, no such move was initiated in majority of the cases.