CAG raps Goa govt for wasting `11.17 cr on hiring premises

the goan I network

PANAJI

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG ) in its report (for the year ended 31 March 2018) pointed out to a whopping Rs 11.17 crore wasteful expenditure by the State government which hired a private premise to house its offices from Apex Computers and Engineering Services (ACES) and did not utilize it fully for periods ranging from five to 35 months.

The CAG report also rapped the government for investing another Rs 5.89 core of public money to modify another private premise also owned by a company linked to ACES located at EDC’s Patto Plaza.

Currently the District and Sessions Court, North Goa, Commercial Taxes Department, Town and Country Planning Department and Goa State Information Commission offices are functioning from these two private premises taken on long-term lease by the State government. “Failure of the State Government to hire ready-to-move-in premises for its offices led to an expenditure of 5.89 crore”, the CAG report said.

“Post-hiring on internal modifications, Pending internal modifications, the offices could not shift to the hired premises for periods ranging from five months to 35 months. However, the State Government continued to pay rent for the vacant period, thus, rendering an expenditure of Rs 11.17 crore nugatory”, the report further said.

“The initial 3 years of the six years of the lease period was spent on providing interiors to the premises, huge public investment in private properties indicated scant regard for value for money”, the report observed.

The State Government in November 2012 decided to hire premises that were ready-to-move till the government constructed a new building.

In January 2014, the State Government signed a lease deed with ACES, Goa for hiring a total office space of 5,416.50 sq mts in two adjacent commercial buildings at Patto Plaza, Panaji ” 4,841 sqm in SPACES building and 5,755 sqm in Kamat Towers ” at a negotiated monthly rental of 42.93 lakh for a period of three years commencing from 1 November 2013 to 31 October 2016. The State Government extended the lease for a further period of three years from 1 November 2016 to 31 October 2019.

Since the leased premises were not in ready-to-move condition, the State Government roped in (18 November 2013) Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) for carrying out internal modifications in the premises as per requirements of the allotted departments. ACES handed over the possession of premises to GSIDC between 27 November 2013 and 20 March 2014. The modifications which were supposed to be completed in three months

were actually completed at a cost of Rs 5.89 crore in september 2016, a delay of almost two years.

“While the Government’s initial directive was to identify and hire readymade premises, the EoI issued in February 2013 did not mention this critical requirement. This eventually led to huge public investment on interiors post-hiring.”, CAG report observed.

The government could also have moderated its investment on interiors to enable the offices to shift to the new premises faster, report pointed out. RENT PAID ...

GSIDC

Rs 3.60 cr for 35 months

District session court

Rs 5.93 cr for 25 months

DRDA, North Goa

Rs 1.03 cr for 23 months

T&C Planning

Rs 0.09 cr for five months

State Info commission

Rs 0.52 cr for 14 months

MONEY SPENT ON

RENOVATION ...