7723 UCs of ₹14,651.89 cr pending for 36 departments
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, March 04 2024: A total of 7,723 Utilisation Certificates (UCs) aggregating Rs 14,651.89 crore in respect of grants were pending for submission as on March 31, 2022 in respect of 36 departments.

During the year 2021-22, Rs 426.95 crore pertaining to 346 outstanding UCs for the period up to 2020-21 was cleared, according to the Audit Report 2022 tabled by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in the ongoing state assembly session.

The CAG report said that rule 238(1) and 235 of the General Financial Rules (GFR), 2017 as adopted by the state government provides that UCs in respect of Grants-in-Aid received by the grantee should be submitted to the Grantor within 12 months of closure of the financial year by the institution or organisation concerned in Form GFR I2-A in which the grants was sanctioned.

However, it was found that 7,723 UCs aggregating to Rs 14,651.89 crore in respect of grants were in arrears as on March 31, 2022 in respect of 36 departments, with the oldest UCs dating to year 2003-04 .

According to the report, 3,066 UCs of Rs 4160.35 crore were pending for submission during the Congress government from 2003-04 to 2016-17 .

The highest figure of pending UCs during Congress period was in 2016-17 which had 631 pending UCs aggregating to Rs 1,478.31.On the other hand, 4657 UCs aggregating to Rs 10491.54 crore were found pending for submission during the BJP government from 2017-18 to 2020-21 .

The highest pending UCs during BJP government period was in 2020-21 which had 1,405 pending UCs aggregating to Rs 3,569.88 crore.

The report observed that 9.25 per cent (714 UCs) of the UCs were outstanding for 10 years or more.

The UCs were awaited mainly in respect of the 10 departments (1) Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (743 UCs: Rs 6903.21 crore); Tribal Affairs and Hills (3,032 UCs: Rs 2,155.53 crore); Education (S) (1131 UCs: Rs 1,142.14 crore); Medical and Health Services (128 UCs: Rs 1102.68 crore); Power (178 UCs: Rs 1,035.87 crore); Municipal Administration, Housing and Urban Development (308 UCs: Rs 692.06 crore); Education (U) (379 UCs: Rs 395.22 crore); Planning (167 UCs: Rs 377.04 crore); Horticulture (200 UCs: Rs 234.99 crore); and Forest (119 UGs: Rs 108.12 crore).

These 10 departments together accounted for 6,385 UCs (82.68 per cent) out of 7,723 outstanding UCs, involving an amount of Rs 14,146.86 crore (96.55 per cent) out of the total outstanding amount of Rs 14,651.89 crore.

In absence of UCs, there is no assurance that the funds were utilised for the purpose for which they were sanctioned and that the intended objectives of providing these funds have been achieved.

Since high pendency of UCs was fraught with risk of misappropriation of funds and fraud, the state government should monitor this aspect closely, particularly the ones which are outstanding for 10 years or more, and hold the concerned persons accountable for submission of UCs in a timely manner, the CAF report recommended.

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