Bhopal: The comptroller and auditor general report of 2016-17 tabled in the state assembly on Thursday has revealed financial irregularities of Rs 147 in tribal department. The report has raised several issues against the department as well as on the commissioner of the department. The CAG had recommended that action be taken against the official concerned and the amount be recovered from them.
According to the report the money was misused in systemic deficiencies, irregular expenditure, wasteful expenditure, fraudulent withdrawal among others. The department is functioning in 89 blocks of 20 districts. It runs 1,051 ashram schools for class 1 to VIII, 78 Kanya Shiksha Parisar (girls residential school VI to XII).
1,368 pre-matric hostels, 210 post matric hostels and 29 Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS). The report states during 2012 to 17 the department incurred Rs 2,686.12 crore on the functioning of residential schools and hostels. However residential schools and hostels were deficient in infrastructure, such as inadequate accommodations for inmates as well as for the staff.
Like the cots, dining space, toilets, incomplete construction works and many others. Interestingly the department increased the seats in 247 pre-matric hostels without improving the accommodation in these hostels. Residential schools had substantial shortage of teachers, which affected the quality of education, importantly the district collectors failed to ensure regular health check-ups of inmates.
According to report the commissioner of the department had furnished fictitious utilisation certificates of Rs 113.84 crore.
The CAG had recommended that regular health check-ups of inmates be conducted and vacant posts of principal, lecturers be filled to check the dependence on contractual teachers.Upgraded hostels Over 318 hostels were upgraded, but new building and or additional rooms were constructed in only 71 hostels. Consequently inmates of 247 hostels had to face various difficulties such inmates being forced to share one cot, lack of toilets and bathrooms.
