IMPHAL, October 27: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India, in its audit has indicated that altogether Rs. 417.25 lakhs is believed to have been misappropriated in the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department, Government of Manipur.
It is learnt that the Government of India provided assistance to states and union territories for control of economically important diseases of livestock and poultry by way of immunisation, strengthening of existing states veterinary biological foundation units and state diagnostic laboratories, holding workshops/seminars and in service training to veterinarians and Para-Veterinarians.
The programme was to be implemented on 75:25 sharing basis between centre and the state.
However, 100 percent assistance was provided by the centre for training and seminar workshops. As per Utilisation Certificates (UCs) submitted to the Ministry, the expenditure incurred for implementation of the schemes during 2009-10 to 2013-14, it reportedly came to light that during 2011-12, the centre had released its share of rupees 150 lakhs. As against this, the department could utilise 22.77 rupees only.
The non-utilised fund of 127.23 lakh rupees was revalidated by the centre for utilisation in 2012-13. Non-utilisation of available fund of 134.45 lakhs in 2011-12 was indicative of inefficient management of funds by the department, said the audit report.
Audit records at the Directorate showed the following deficiencies in implementation of the scheme starting from fiscal year 2012.
During 2012-13 vaccines and appliances worth 136.72 lakhs rupees including 65.87 lakhs for 17 general medicines, 70.85 lakhs for 52 generic medicines and appliances, were procured for implementation of the scheme.
As seen from the stock register, none of the medicines procured were distributed to the veterinary institutions. Thus, inspite of having sufficient stock of medicines, the department failed to take the required measures for controlling/prevention of animal diseases in the state during 2012-13, it mentioned.
Similarly in 2013-14, vacancies and appliances worth 280.52 lakhs rupees including 140.19 lakhs for 14 general medicines, 140.33 lakhs for 33 generic medicines and appliances, were procured for implementation of the scheme. It was however noticed that only three of the items procured were fully distributed by the department. The balance stock of 44 different items worth 83.74 lakhs was not distributed.
The department did not maintain vital information of the medicines and vaccines procured such as batch number, expiry date, manufacturing date, chemical analysis report of the vaccines and medicines procured, it said. As such, expiry of the medicines and vaccines could not be ascertained.
It has been informed that during exit conference, the department stated (October 2014) that though materials procured were distributed, records could not be maintained due to lack of manpower.
To this the Comptroller and Auditor General found the reply was not acceptable as the relevant record for the distribution such as indents, signature of acknowledgement for receipts, APRs stock verification certificates etc. were not available.
Thus, in the absence of the aforesaid records, the authenticity of distribution of the medicines and appliances of value 417.25 lakh rupees including 280.53 lakhs, 136.72 lakhs could not be ascertained