Scholarship for challenged: Audit unearths gross anomalies

KOCHI: The State Audit Department’s audit report for the year 2015-16 of Ernakulam District Panchayat has found serious financial irregularities in the implementation of the scholarship scheme for physically and mentally challenged.

The scheme to buy and distribute books to libraries is also found having anomalies. A sum of over Rs 1 crore was spent for the scholarship for the physically and mentally challenged but the audit team could come across utility or expense certificate in the file for an amount of Rs 37.18 lakh given to 27 grama panchayats. The utility or expense certificate for the remaining amount is absent.

Though the said anomaly was pointed out to the panchayat authorities and were asked to give an explanation, the audit team did not get any response, following which the audit wing objected to the spending of '62.82 lakh in this regard.

The maximum sanctioned sum of Rs 2.90 lakh is recorded against Elankunnapuzha panchayat while the minimum sum of Rs 62,317 is recorded against Ayyambuzha, Keerambara, Varappetty and Kalloorkadu grama panchayats each. However, the huge gap in the recorded and spent some come as a crude joke in a well-publicised social security scheme. District Social Justice Officer has been identified as the implementing authority for the project.

Usually libraries affiliated to library council are given books and furniture.
However, in the second instance, 17 of the 52 libraries to which books were supplied under the district panchayat scheme, did not submit documents to prove any such affiliation.

It was identified that grama panchayats themselves had such a project for libraries and no step was taken to avoid duplication of projects. No attempt was taken to assess the requirement of books and furniture for libraries also.

“Projects have to be prepared considering the requirement of each eligible library after selecting them in such schemes where huge sums are spent. They should follow plan guidelines for being efficient and useful,” the audit report says. A sum of Rs 26 lakh has been spent on this project.