CASH DOLED
* Rs 214 crore
BENEFICIARIES
* Over 13,000
TRUCK OWNERS
* 6997 (Rs 143 cr)
UNEMPLOYED
* 1974 (Rs 20 cr)
OTS SCHEME
4412 (Rs 50 cr)
(The State Government had introduced three schemes under the ‘Umbrella Scheme’ for providing financial assistance to those adversely affected due to closure of mining and related activities)
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Over 13,000 persons affected by the ban on iron ore mining have benefitted from various schemes implemented by the government. However, an audit of 10 beneficiaries, selected at random, found that an excess of Rs 10 lakh was paid in violation of all norms.
This is, obviously, the tip of the iceberg.
The violations have come to the fore in the audit inspection of the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) conducted for the period from May 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015. The audit has slammed DMG for not monitoring proper implementation of the schemes.
A scrutiny of the database of the beneficiaries of the scheme, which was provided by the DMG, has revealed that in 10 cases an excess amount of Rs 4,24,000 was sanctioned and paid to the beneficiaries.
In case of two beneficiaries “ Anant Raghunath Savaiker and Anita Anant Sawaikar who have two different registration numbers in Goa Electronics Limited (GEL), an excess amount of Rs 2,04,000 has been credited to the same account number.
In another case, two beneficiaries Dhiraj Naguesh Naik and Naguesh Umanath Naik were paid an excess amount of Rs 1,20,000 through same account number.
As per this ‘scheme for providing financial relief to truck owners engaged in mining operations in the mining affected areas’ the maximum financial grant/benefit, other than loans granted, was Rs 12,000 only per month per family. If more than one person from a family applies under the target scheme, the amount was to be divided equally among the members.
Additionally, irregularities in the ‘umbrella scheme’ of the State Government have been revealed in the report with some of the beneficiaries availing benefits under two different schemes simultaneously, in violation of the scheme guidelines.
As per the main scheme, the beneficiary and his family shall be eligible to avail of financial benefits under only one amongst the separate schemes.
However, the scrutiny of the list of beneficiaries revealed that some of the beneficiaries availed benefits under two different schemes simultaneously, in violation of the scheme guidelines.
In nine cases same beneficiary had availed financial benefits under two separate schemes at the same time. The total benefit to the nine beneficiaries amounted to Rs 13,24,000 under one scheme and Rs 6,87,102 under the second scheme, which was in contravention of the scheme guidelines.
The State Government had introduced three schemes under the ‘Umbrella Scheme’ for providing financial assistance to those adversely affected due to closure of mining and related activities. These were “ scheme for providing financial relief for truck/tipper owners, scheme for providing financial relief to the people residing in mining affected areas who have lost their employment due to closure of mining industry and debt relief scheme for mining affected borrowers of financial institutions.
The audit, however, recommended recovery of the excess amount from the beneficiaries and also conduct review of such cases.
In both cases, the DMG replied stating that the matter had been referred to Goa Electronics Limited, which was the scrutinising authority in such cases.
