PAC opposes involvement of private sector in Nashik Press

New Delhi, Aug 7 (UNI) The Public Accounts Committee has asked the Government to desist from entrusting the job of production of paper for the India Security Press, Nashik, to private paper mills.

The 28th Report of the PAC on 'Control Systems' in India Security Press, Nashik, placed in the Lok Sabha today, expressed concern that there was a total lack of threat perception on part of the Press about the high-risk involved in the use of dandy rolls in the production of stamp papers.

The Press had chosen to rely on the contractual obligations with the private paper mills and had not carried a risk assessment on the probable misuse of dandy rolls for counterfeit production of stamp papers, the report added.

The committee has asked the Press to explore the feasibility of completely doing away with the systems of engaging private paper mills for production of papers and entrusting the job of producing all the papers required for security paper production.

The PAC also expressed its dismay that the Nashik Press failed to give any plausible explanation for irregular and infrequent physical verification of dandy rolls and suggested that such exercise be conducted at regular intervals.

The committee urged the government to address the issues of erratic indents of stamp papers by the state governments.

UNI KAS RL GC1452