CAG points out slow physical progress against high expenditure in projects

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has found physical achievement in setting piped water supply schemes in Odisha abysmally low.

The CAG, which came out with a report on the finances of the Odisha government, had carried out an analysis of effectiveness of expenditure relating to four departments -- Fisheries and Animal Resources Development, Panchayati Raj, Rural Development and Water Resources -- for the year 2014-15.

With regards to the PWS scheme, the Rural Development department was found to have spent Rs.51.25 crore as against the provision Rs.60 crore, achieving 85 per cent of the target. But when it came to physical achievement, it was only seven per cent.

“The department could ensure completion of 47 PWS units as against the target of 669 units during the year. The shortfall is 93 per cent,” says the CAG.

Not good for targets

The slow progress in setting up of PWS units does not augur well for the target set by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to provide drinking water in all the panchayats by 2017.

Mo Kudia, another flagship programme for providing houses to rural people, has witnessed very slow progress. Although funds (Rs.330 crore) for the year 2014-15 were fully utilised, only 17 per cent (8,166) of the target of 4,66,75 houses could be completed.

In case of Indira Awas Yojna, 76 per cent (Rs.887 crore) of the funds were utilised out of the allotted funds (Rs.1,169 crore), against which 39 per cent (57,739) of the targeted houses of 1,52,966 could be completed.

Below satisfactory

Physical achievement in cases of formation of Self Help Groups under the National Rural Livelihood Mission, Rajiv Gandhi Sashaktikaran Yojna and Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme was found to be below satisfactory.

The apex audit agency said expenditure of over Rs.1,073 crore was incurred on 206 projects which were still incomplete due to prolonged processes involved in land acquisition, matters lying sub-judice in courts, finalisation and revision of designs, shortage of funds and slow progress of works

According to CAG findings, the total committed liabilities of the State stood at Rs.1,18,559.73 crore at the end of the year. Out of these, pension payment obligations were 61.86 per cent, interest payments 28.31 per cent and loan repayment were 9.83 per cent.