Lagatar24 Desk
Ranchi: On the second day of the Monsoon Session, Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore tabled the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report in the Jharkhand Assembly, highlighting gaps in revenue collection and financial management. The report revealed pending dues and irregularities that have raised concerns about the state’s fiscal accountability.
Revenue Dues and Backlogs
According to the CAG report, revenue arrears stood at ₹84.72 crore as of March 31, 2024, with ₹38.91 crore pending for over five years. Within the Excise and Prohibition Department, ₹7.72 crore remained tied up in courts and appellate authorities. While revenue receipts grew 9.57 percent compared to the previous year, they fell short of budget estimates by 10.58 percent. The report noted a revenue surplus of ₹11,252.08 crore in FY 2023–24.
Budgetary and Accounting Irregularities
The audit flagged that budgetary provisions were not strictly followed. Departmental estimates for establishment and general expenses were prepared without field-level verification, leading to significant savings of ₹3,042.49 crore against allocations of ₹4,910.33 crore. Discrepancies were also found between closing balances reported by units and those submitted to the Accountant General’s office, with a mismatch of ₹557.13 crore.
Gaps in Financial Systems and Pension Payments
The CAG report pointed out the absence of a fund and debt management module, preventing real-time tracking of fiscal status. Similarly, the lack of an internal audit module hindered systematic reviews under the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS). Pension payments also showed anomalies—out of 11.89 lakh transactions, only 68.74 percent had PPO numbers recorded, while 3.71 lakh transactions lacked them. Further analysis revealed excess payments of ₹11 crore to 344 pensioners.
Decline in Central Grants
The report highlighted that central assistance to Jharkhand had sharply declined over four years, from 21.06 percent in FY 2019–20 to 10.40 percent in FY 2023–24. In the last financial year, the state received just ₹6,266.71 crore as its share in centrally sponsored schemes.
