Rs 164.33 crore spent on MIDH, but CAG says no substantial contribution made
Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 31
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has detected several lapses in the working of the Nagaland Horticulture Department based on its Performance Audit conducted on the ‘Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).’
In its report, the CAG observed that while the State Government incurred an expenditure of Rs 164.33 crore on MIDH during 2014-20, the implementation of the Scheme had not substantially contributed to the enhancement of area, production and productivity of any of the Horticultural crops.
It generally noted that assets created under the scheme were not effectively utilised or not utilised at all by the stake holders.
The audit was conducted during September 2019 to April 2021 covering the period from 2014-15 to 2019-20.
It detected that Annual Action Plans (AAPs) were prepared without conducting base line survey, Seed/ Planting material sub-plan and District-wise sub-plans.
Another observation it made was that planting materials for Rs 14.72 crore were procured from non-accredited nurseries/ local suppliers. 400 out of 841 beneficiaries reported short-receipt of planting materials, the CAG report said.
In another case, the CAG report stated that inadmissible advance payment of Rs 10.62 crore was made to suppliers. The Department also paid Rs 12.14 crore to the contractors without actual execution of works.
Further, the CAG informed that the Centre of Excellence (CoE) constructed at a cost of Rs 5 crore in Yisemyong, Mokokchung, was leased out to a private firm. An amount of Rs 4 crore released for creation of three Centres of Excellence (Phek, Tuensang and Dimapur) was diverted without the approval of the Government of India, it further revealed.
Lastly, the CAG found that inadmissible assistance of Rs 11.44 crore was extended to beneficiaries under Post Harvest Management.
The CAG advised the State Government to prepare the Perspective Plans and Annual Action Plans after conducting baseline surveys and by consolidating District-wise sub-plans.
It also asked the government to take appropriate steps wherever the cases were noticed. These included the diversion of project fund for other purposes; non-verifiable nurseries; leasing out the firm without the consent of the Department; short execution of missing & hardening chambers and tubular structure; short distribution of planting materials; non-disbursement of maintenance allowance; issuance of incorrect completion certificate along with the false reporting to GoI; excess payments & short supply; payments made without actual execution of works and extending excess assistance for construction of pack houses, and fix the responsibility on the above cases.
The CAG also called for strengthening the financial management and proper analysis of financial data in order to avoid discrepancies in various financial documents.
Another advice the CAG gave to the department was to streamline the procurement process to safeguard the financial interest of the State Government by following extant financial rules.
It further called for introducing an effective monitoring system to avoid non/ short-execution of works/ projects, short distribution of planting materials, etc.
