BHUBANESWAR: The Controller and Auditor General has cast doubts over utilisation of grants and loans given to various bodies highlighting that utilisation certificates involving for an amount aggregating to Rs 38,427.91 crore has not been submitted till March 2018. “High pendency of utilisation certificates (UCs) is fraught with risk of misappropriation/diversion of funds and fraud,” the premier audit agency of the country said. In 2017-18, the Government released Rs 21,780.3 crore as grant-in-aid for which UCs have not been received for an amount of Rs 16,391.16 crore which is 75.26 per cent of the total amount.
“There was, therefore, no assurance that the expenditure of Rs 16,391.16 crore had actually been incurred for the purpose it was authorised,” said the audit report on State Finances tabled in the Assembly on Thursday.
It further rapped the State Government for non-submission of UCs for an amount aggregating Rs 38,427.91 crore.
The audit agency further pointed out that UCs amounting to Rs 1044.89 crore were pending for more than 10 years in 22 departments with the highest amount of Rs 421.84 crore in Panchayati Raj department.