MLAs violate DG guidelines by not submitting UCs of over ₹10.73 cr: CAG

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 21, 2019

SHILLONG: Members of the Legislative Assembly has failed to submit utilization certificates in respect of discretionary grants (DG) amounting to ₹10.73 crore which is in violation of the scheme guidelines.

This was revealed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in its report for the year ended March 31, 2018 tabled in the special session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly held recently.

According to the report, during the four year period 2014-15 to 2017-18, the Parliament Affairs Department sanctioned an amount of ₹11.40 crore as discretionary grant to the 60 MLAs.

It said scrutiny of records (February 2018) of the Assembly Secretariat revealed that out of the 60 MLAs to whom DG were released, only six MLAs submitted UCs for ₹0.67 crore for the years 2014-18 against an amount of ₹11.40 crore released during the same period.

“UCs for the balance amount of ₹10.73 crore were not submitted by the MLAs even as of December 2018,” the CAG said.

Despite the MLAs not submitting the UCs, the Secretary, Meghalaya Legislative Assembly continued to release the DG even duriung the subsequent years. No action was taken to withhold further release of DG and ensure submission of UCs as per the provisions of the prescribed guidelines.

Further, even the UCs/APRs submitted by the six MLAs for the years 2014-18 also revealed irregularities.

It said none of the MLAs who submitted UCs adhered to the monetary limit of ₹1500 per beneficiary fixed as per guidelines.

Out of six MLAs, four either did not submit APRs or submitted only partial APRs in support of the expenditure in violation of the guidelines.

The CAG also said no action was taken by the Secretary, Meghalaya Legislative Assembly either to enforce adherence to the monetary limit or for submission of APRs by the MLAs as required by the guidelines.

“There was also nothing on record to show that the Secretary, Meghalaya Assembly had taken action to seek enhancement of the monetary limit set by the guidelines,” it said.

On this being pointed out, the Secretary, Meghalaya Legislative Assembly replied in December last year that the Assembly Secretariat had written to the MLAs to furnish the UCs as early as possible and that the matter of enhancing the monetary limit of ₹1500 per beneficiary has been taken up with the Government.

The response however does not address the issue as to why guidelines for implementation of discretionary grants were not complied with and why he continued to irregularly release the DG without obtaining UCs/APRs of previously released funds from the MLAs.