According to State Finance Audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, there are 26 cases of misappropriation and loses including government money of Rs 207.24 crore involving 12 departments and various unnamed departments.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
Nagaland school education department has established the highest record in the state for misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs 82.79 crore in two different cases.
However, one case with a sum of Rs 70 crore was awaiting departmental and criminal investigation.
According to an official bulletin, this was furnished in the State Finance Audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for the year ending March 31, 2022, that was tabled in the ongoing Assembly Session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly on March 22.
The report stated that there are 26 cases of misappropriation and loses including government money of Rs 207.24 crore involving 12 departments and various unnamed departments.
Out of these 26 cases, five cases involving Rs 22.87 crore were reportedly pending in the Court of law. Power department topped the second highest misappropriation cases acquiring an amount of Rs 25.48 crore in one case, followed by Public Works Department (Road & Bridges) with Rs 23.79 crore in three cases and one misappropriation fund involving Rs 20.23 crore in Planning and Coordination department. Other departments with misappropriation funds of amounting around Rs one crore to Rs 14 crore included Land records & Survey, Technical Education, RD, Municipal Affairs, PHED, Taxes, Health & Family Welfare, and Tourism.
Further, the bulletin stated that as furnished by Nagaland Lokayukta, Directorate of Investigation, there are four cases of loss to government due to theft, misappropriations, loss of government materials involving Rs 2.77 crore out of which an amount of Rs 2.54 crore has been recovered.
Nagaland government sanctions Rs 6.56 crore to school education department
Nagaland government has provided Rs 6.56 crore to the department of school education to construct offices of Government High School (GHS), District Education Officer (DEO), and Senior District Education Officer (SDEO) and for extension of classrooms.
This was stated by Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio during his budget speech on March 22.
He said that with the state development fund, the construction of schools should be substantially completed while also adding that Rs 2.59 crore has been earmarked for construction of 60 bedded girls’ hostel at Sainik School, Punglwa.
Besides, the Department of Higher Education (DoHE) has been provided with Rs 8.32 crore to facilitate NAAC accreditation and for construction of academic buildings in Government colleges.
The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has been provided Rs 3.15 crore for various construction works, development of text books, trainings and workshops and conduct of examinations.
The Department of Technical Education (DoTH) has been provided Rs 3 crore of which Rs 1 crore is for upgradation of facilities at Khelhoshe Polytechnic as a follow up to the accreditation of the programmes of Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Mechanical Engineering for a period of three academics years from 2021 to 2024 by National Board of Accreditation (NBoA).
Further, Rs 1 Crore each has also been provided for core activities and infrastructure development in Seithekiema Polytechnic.