The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has found that laxity of the Health and Family Welfare Department resulted in the non-extension of the Kerala Emergency Medical Services Project (108 ambulance) to the 12 remaining districts despite availability of funds. Agencies entrusted with delivering 24X7 services failed to attend to 28,102 calls in Thiruvananthapuram and Alappuzha districts owing to non-availability of vehicles, the CAG report on general and social sector for the year ending March 2014 tabled in the Assembly on Monday said.
In 54.48 per cent of the cases test-checked by the audit team, the response of the 108 ambulance was beyond the stipulated 10 minutes. Launched in PPP mode in December 2008, the private operator was to operate 50 ambulances provided by the government.
The CAG found that Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd. allowed much higher rate for the additional distance plied beyond 2,000 km. The delivery vehicles were converted into ambulances without reckoning the safety aspects. The State-level committee to monitor the project did not meet once.
Embezzlement of money and control failures were detected in Friends, a key mission mode e-governance initiative of the government for paying utility bills, tax, and other dues through a single-window integrated remittance centre.
Delay in remittance
The audit found that there were persistent delays in remittance of money collected from Friends centres to banks. The application was not upgraded in line with technological advancements. The system could not achieve the goal of providing single-window remittance owing to lack of timely managerial interventions and coordination with agencies.
In the case of the Kerala State Nirmithi Kendra, it was found that a separate schedule of rates for construction works using cost-effective environment friendly (CEEF) and energy efficient technology was not prepared, and that works under CEEF technology were negligible. The audit revealed that the scheme to provide building materials at discounted rates to BPL families failed to attract beneficiaries.
The audit also revealed underutilisation of funds, non-formation of full-fledged Ayush department, shortage in inspection of drug manufacturing units, deficiencies in diet and infrastructure, and non-availability of drug testing laboratory for Ayurveda. Failure of three departments to comply with the provisions of high-tension tariff revision order of the KSEB led to avoidable payment of penalty charges amounting to Rs.2.85 crore.
Embezzlement of funds detected in Friends
‘Nirmithi Kendra work under CEEF negligible’
Agencies entrusted with delivering 24X7 services failed to attend to 28,102 calls in Thiruvananthapuram and Alappuzha districts
