Morung Express News
Dimapur | September 22
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has expressed doubts over the execution of six projects under the Nagaland State Planning and Coordination Department, involving an amount of Rs 6.68 crore.
Among other suspected discrepancies, these six projects were listed in the recent CAG audit report, with purported suspicions of deceitful completion evidence, thereby evoking doubt as to whether the works were actually carried out. The report was tabled in the Nagaland Assembly on September 20.
The projects include a cultural centre, a skill development centre, a tribal old age day care, a tribal co-education centre, a community training institute, and a mission hostel.
Cultural Centre at Indoor Stadium?
The first case involved construction of a Cultural Centre building at Touphema Village, taken up in 2012-13 at a cost of Rs 1 crore. No work order was issued for it, with the department instead directing the contractor to submit progress reports.
In 2012, the contractor’s progress report showed 70% work completing, on the basis of which the department made full payment.
The CAG however informed that the department took up the same work a second time through the same contractor, and certified it as completed on August 2013, with another payment of Rs 1 crore, bringing the total sanction to Rs 20 crore. On both occasions, separate estimates of the buildings were prepared and photographs were attached to the progress/completion certificate during 2012-13 and 2013-14.
However, during joint inspection, the CAG noted that the building shown in the reports could not be located.
“Instead, the departmental officials showed an indoor stadium purported to be the Cultural Centre,” the CAG said.
The indoor stadium bore a plaque stating that it was constructed under MGNREGS 2013-14. This was ascertained by the CAG through cross audit with the DRDA, Kohima, which revealed that two sanctions for Rs 50 lakh (Rs 20 lakh in June 2013 and Rs 30 lakh in November 2013) were issued.
The department meanwhile said in November 2017 that the “amount was released to the contractor to complete the work in public interest.” However the CAG asserted that two payments were made against the same work, “execution of which was doubtful.”
Skill Development Centre
Another case was regarding construction of a three storey Skill Development Centre at Dimapur, for which Rs 1.79 crore was paid to the contractor within a month in October 2015. The CAG however found that no completion/progress report of the work was available.
During joint inspection in July 2017, an under construction building owned by the Changki Mission Society was shown to the audit. The CAG found that the ongoing building was owned by the said society on donated land and “funded by Changki citizens.” As evidence, the CAG cited a dedication programme for the building publicized in the media on February 22, 2017.
While the department claimed that the building was constructed with fund from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and contribution from the Changki Mission Society, the CAG termed this response as “unacceptable,” as the structure was owned by the society.
Tribal Old Age Home
The construction of a Tribal Old Age Day Care in Padumpukhuri also came under the CAG scanner; a project costing Rs 1 crore, certified as completed in October 2012.
However during inspection, department officials showed an under construction building on private land to the inspection team, despite departmental records indicating that the building was completed almost five years back. The CAG doubted whether the home was constructed at all.
Tribal Co-education Centre
In the same vein, Rs 1 crore was paid to a contractor for building a Tribal Co-education Centre at Khermahal, Dimapur, with the Executive Engineer certifying 60% work completed in July 2013.
In 2017, the inspection team was shown a computer training centre in the first floor of a three storey RCC building at the heart of Dimapur town. While the computer training centre was owned by private parties, the CAG informed that the firm was functioning in the building since 2011, indicating that the building was in existence prior to sanctioning of the project in 2013.
Community Training Institute or apartment block?
A community training institute at Burma Camp, Dimapur, certified to be completed in July 2013 for a cost of Rs 40 lakh was found being used as residential apartments.
The department stated that the four storey building was constructed with the “resources of the contractor” in convergence with financial from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. It added that the contractor had “verbally stated that the basement of the building was used for meetings, social awareness programmes and training courses.”
The CAG however said that it saw the building “only utilized for residential purposes,” and doubted the expenditure of the Rs 40 lakh.
Hostel missing a whole floor
The last cited case involved construction of Rangkau Mission Hostel in Peren, which was certified as complete in July 2013. The contractor showed a two storey RCC building in the progress report and received Rs 50 lakh via two installments.
However, the inspection team in June 2017 was shown a single storey building on a site belonging to an individual. Further, the CAG found that the building was not being used as a hostel.
In all these cases, the CAG recommended investigation by the State Vigilance Commission, and disciplinary proceedings/FIRs against the concerned officials.
