CAG notices irregularities in PMGSY

Hyderabad, Mar 28 (UNI) The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), in its report tabled in the state Assembly, has noticed irregularities in the implementation of the Prime Minister's Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for which the Centre had provided Rs 827.91 crore.

The report noted flawed execution and ineligible, unauthorised, avoidable, wasteful expenditure, including misutilisation and diversion of funds outside the scope of the scheme, involving Rs 21.87 crore.

The Chief Engineer, Pachayatraj had wrongly treated 5224 habitations as already covered. This resulted in reduction of Central assistance by Rs 725 crore affecting the success of the programme. As much as Rs 149.13 crore remained unspent.

Under the programme launched in December 2000 to connect all habitations with population of 500 persons and above by 2003 and those with 500 persons and above by 2007 by all weather roads, it observed that while connectivity to a very large number of habitations was not established, many ineligible habitations were covered.

The audit also noticed, during joint physical vertification of a few works, substandard execution of several road works requiring relaying of roads and the quality control mechanism was ineffective and monitoring of execution inadequate.

The Chief Engineer violated the Centre's guidelines on several issues and in seven sample districts, Rs 22.60 crore was spent on 166 water bound Macadam/gravel roads instead of black topped roads, resulting in the outlay becoming largely wasteful as these were no longer fit for upgradation to black topped roads.

As against physical target of 2556 km, roads to extent of 1,799 km were laid in the seven sample districts, it said.

The CAG recommended strengthening of quality control mechanism and revamping of the project implementing units in the districts as well as the state level standing committees.

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