VMC panel rejects irregular' bills

Vijayawada: The rejection of bills worth Rs 56 lakh by the VMC’s standing committee highlights the irregularities in submission of vouchers and the quality of works.  

The committee, comprising six members led by the chairman of the council and VMC mayor  Koneru Sridhar, reportedly noticed the irregularities and vast variation in the bills submitted by various wings of the corporation, and suggested the officials concerned to produce the same with complete details and necessary changes.

According to the VMC officials, the standing committee rejected nearly 20 vouchers and directed that three of them be submitted with complete details. The rejected vouchers were relating to recently paid advances and expenditure, between December 17. 2018 and January 20, 2019, before the Budget meeting was held.

Meanwhile, the people's organisations are alleging that the VMC rejected only a few of the bills while in fact, more would have faced the same fate, if the panel examined each and every voucher keenly.  In the agenda serial number 45/612, voucher numbers 992, 995, 2774, 2776,1015, 2767, 2768, 2769, 2770, 2771, 2772, 2773 and 7371, all amounting to '38,94,976 were rejected by the Committee. In agenda serial number 52/619, voucher number 7701 amounting to '67,500, voucher number 7708 of '5,00,000, and another voucher worth '1,18,000 were also rejected, apart from agenda serial number  55/622, in which another voucher 2823, amounting to Rs 10,00,000 was rejected.  

In agenda serial number 52/619, an amount of Rs 3, 66,390 paid through voucher no. 7713 and an expenditure of Rs 4,89,198 paid through voucher number 7232 were ordered to resubmitted with full details by the committee.

Taxpayers Association general secretary M.V. Anjaneyulu said the rejection of vouchers exposes the VMC standing committee exposes that infighting between the leaders of the ruling party in the local body.

“A section of the corporators do not have trust on their colleagues who had paid advances for various works taken up by the VMC. Internal auditing by the VMC should be more strict to plug the loopholes and prevent irregularities.” He reminded that they have been demanding that the VMC go for public audit of its accounts several times in the past but that nothing of that sort has been done so far.  

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, chief  accounts officer K. Narasimha Murthy said, “The standing committee ordered for submission of the rejected bills in the next meeting.”