the goan I network
MAPUSA
The Accountant General’s audit report for the financial year 2015-16 has observed that MMC has failed to make the best use of the grants-in-aid it received from the State and Central governments.
MMC failed to utilise a sum of Rs 3.87 crore (19%) out of Rs 19.95 crore sanctioned as grants-in-aid by the State government during the period of 2011-12 to 2015-16, the audit report said.
Grants of Rs 6.94 lakh out of Rs 9.50 lakh received during 2013-14 and 2015-16 as per the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission was also not utilised.
The State government had released a special grant of Rs 2 crore in 2011-12 to various municipal councils in commemoration of golden jubilee celebrations of the State’s liberation out of which an amount of Rs 40 lakh remained unutilised.
The auditor further pointed out that the municipal council failed to furnish utilisation certificates for the grants that were utilised.
“The terms of release of grants stipulated its utilisation for the intended purpose and furnishing of utilisation certificates within a period of one year from the date of sanction of grants,” the report said.
However, utilisation certificates for grants amounting to Rs 6.17 crore, which was 30 per cent of the grants received, were not furnished to the government as of March 2016, the auditor observed.
The audit report also noted that the MMC parked the amount received as grants in fixed deposit accounts with various banks at interest varying 8.16% to 9.25% per annum in complete deviation to stipulated rules.
“The terms and conditions governing release of grants-in-aid stipulated maintenance of separate account and audited statement for every grant received,” the audit report said.
The report also said that the interest accrued on government grants was required to be refunded to government treasury by challan, which was not compiled with by the council.
MMC, Accounts Taxation Officer, Shivram Vaze acknowledged that the council could not make full use of grants-in-aid but attributed the delay for reasons beyond its control.
“Many times it takes time to get approvals from other departments and the projects get stuck. In such cases, we cannot utilise the government aid,” Vaze said.
