THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CAG report on Public Service Commission (PSC) has revealed serious lapses in framing of special rules, reporting vacancies and publishing notifications, denial of selection for appointment to the differently-abled and defects in rendering advice to government. The performance audit report also pointed at protracted delays in the selection process.
452 vacancies not notified
Not issued notifications for at least 452 vacancies to be filled up against 128 posts in different departments/institutions. Delay of 11 months to six years was noted in publication of notifications.
Eligibility criteria altered
Altered the eligibility criteria fixed by the Central Government for the differently-abled thereby denying appointment to persons with disabilities.
Selection delays
As per the data, during 2010-15, only 17 to 28 per cent of selections were completed in one year.
Distorting norms
Though scribe facility should be allowed to any visually-challenged person with disability of 40 per cent or more, the PSC permitted the facility to only those with disability of 75 pc or more.
Failed digitisation
Failure to complete digitisation of rotation process through the entrusted agency resulted in non-completion of the process.
CAG fiat
The CAG report pointed at major delays in reporting vacancies and recommended to the government to issue necessary instructions to various departments.
Anomalies detected in urban devpt projects
THE CAG report on Local Self-Government Institutions found gross irregularities in the ADB-aided Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project. Five corporations - Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur and Kozhikode - initiated a total of 24 projects. Of them only seven projects were completed.
The report said at the close of the loan period, 55 of the 102 packages were completed and 28 were not taken up. Failure of the government to operationalise the Kerala Local Government Development Fund (KLGDF) led to the cancellation of the component “C” ie, Local Government Infrastructure Improvement” by ADB and cancellation of the corresponding loan portion of `67.50 crore.
15 contracts worth `330.12 crore were abandoned citing reasons such as public protests, environmental issues, delay in getting road cutting permission etc. This led to wastage of `77.34 crore spent on these projects.Construction and land filling in areas notified under the CRZ led to infructuous expenditure of `30.58 crore.
CAG report puts MGU in the dock
THE Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found serious irregularities in the functioning of the Mahatma Gandhi University, including commencing a five-year degree programme which did not have UGC approval. According to the CAG report, the five-year integrated interdisciplinary MS programme and integrated double degree BA (Criminology) - LLB (Honours) course did not have approval from the UGC.
Defective lease agreement brings financial loss
T’Puram: THE CAG report observed financial loss to the government due to defective lease agreement. As per the report on General Administration department, a portion of Travancore House in New Delhi was leased out to the State Bank of Travancore on the basis of ‘carpet area’ instead of ‘plinth area’ resulting in the loss of `3.68 crore to the state government.
A recording theatre constructed and fully equipped at a cost of `1.48 crore remained idle since August 2011 due to failure of the government to engage technical and administrative staff. Unproductive expenditure on work due to non-availability of adequate land. Contrary to the directions of Kerala Water Authority, tenders were invited for a water supply scheme without ensuring possession of adequate land, thus resulting in expenditure of `4.18 crore.