CHENNAI:It is not just financial irregularities and conflict of interest that have been brought to light in the functioning of the Animals Welfare Board of India. The audit has come down heavily on ‘wasteful expenditure’ to the tune of `8.33 lakh incurred on setting up AWBI Chairman’s office in Delhi, which was later shifted to his residence in Haryana, without due approval from the ministry.
Despite having its headquarters in Chennai, AWBI had set up a camp office in New Delhi, just for its chairman R M Kharb in 2008-09. Public funds were used to pay `32.62 lakh towards various facilities, including telephone bills, and salaries to the staff at Kharb’s Gurgaon residence.
For its part, AWBI stated that this was a customary practice. “It is not feasible for him to attend to AWBI HQ in Chennai on a daily basis,” the reply said. AWBI vice-chairman Chinny Krishna maintained that the ministry’s approval was taken.
S K Mittal who obtained the report through an RTI petition said, “There is no provision in the Animal Welfare Board (Administration) Rules, 1962 for having a camp office outside the HQ. As per rule 12, no remuneration should be paid to any member of the Board on account of his services as such.”
The audit indicated that undue benefits were extended to assistant secretary S Vinod Kumar in terms of promotion and pay. Also, AWBI could not explain the criteria for selecting Hotel Deccan Plaza, Chennai for the stay of the chairman and members for Board meetings in August 2014.