RAIPUR: In a disclosure, the State Audit (Rajya Sampariksha) Annual Report for 2024–25 revealed that gross negligence by officials and staff cost 11 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Chhattisgarh state over Rs 9.99 crore (nearly Rs 10 crore) in financial losses.
The audit report highlights severe financial irregularities, lax tax recovery, and total disregard for statutory rules.
The report highlighted that ULB officials failed to collect door-to-door garbage collection user charges, mobile tower renewal fees and advertisement hoardings revenue. Civic bodies have become almost entirely reliant on State government grants rather than becoming self-sustaining.
This financial loss has left several towns struggling to meet daily operational expenses and staff salaries.
The largest single revenue shortfall occurred under the Raipur Municipal Corporation. During the 2015–16 and 2016–17 fiscal years, municipal authorities failed to recover Rs 7.52 crore in user charges.
Additionally, officials neglected to recover Rs 1.69 crore in rent from hoardings, advertisement boards, and commercial rooftop billboards on private buildings across the city.
The State Audit Department examined account books spanning 55 financial years across 27 urban bodies, including 1 Municipal Corporation, 12 Municipalities, and 14 Nagar Panchayats.
The exercise flagged 800 serious irregularities. However, officials provided responses to a meagre 2 objections, leaving 798 objections unresolved, with most bodies failing to submit replies even after deadlines passed.