RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Aug.4: State finance audit report of the comptroller and auditor general of India for the year ended 31 March 2021 exposed lack of monitoring of funds by the state government besides other financial irregularities.
During the audit it was observed that Rs 147.26 crore was provided to Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation (JTDC), Ranchi from April 2017 to March 2021 for different schemes but expenditure report and physical status of works were not obtained from them by the director of tourism division.
The report suggests that purchase of shares of Ranchi Ashok Bihar Hotel Corporation Limited (RABHCL) from Indian Tourism and Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation Limited (BSTDC) was decided in December 2020, for which the Tourism, Art, Culture and Youth Affairs Development department allotted Rs 25 crore in March 21.
On request of the tourism division, Jharkhand State Beverage Corporation Limited, Ranchi (JSBCL) paid an advance of Rs 9.43 crore to ITDC vide PNB Cheque No 027093 dated 28.12.2020. Tourism division returned Rs 9.43 crore to JSBCL in September 2021 and the balance Rs 15.57 crore was kept in the PL account.
The share value of Rs 9.43 crore was also not transferred to the tourism division and failed to acquire the property by also blocking its fund with ITDC.
The report exposes financial irregularities during Rajrappa Mahotsav organised on February 25 and 26.
According to the report, Rajrappa Mahotsav was organised at CCL Rajrappa Stadium Ground, Chitarpur, Ramgarh for which event management was awarded to SEVENT Brand Solution Pvt Limited, 201, Nath Mansion, Kathal More Road, Ranchi at Rs 50 lakh. Advance of Rs 30 lakh was paid to the agency. Further Rs 40 lakh was raised by the organisers through crowd funding.
As per sanction letter service tax, VAT, IT etc were required to be deducted from the bill of supplier agency at source. The deducted amount was to be remitted to the proper head of account. It was observed that taxes were not deducted at source from the bills of the agency leading to loss of Rs 10.71 lakh to the government.
During the audit, test-checks of vouchers submitted by the agency against VAHAN application of Government of India revealed that vehicles provided by the agency claimed to be cars were actually two wheelers.
