Audit Reports
Himachal Pradesh
Report of 2011 - Performance Audit on Civil of Government of Himachal Pradesh
Overview
This Report contains two performance reviews, 17 paragraphs and three thematic paragraphs. The draft audit paragraphs and performance reviews were sent to the concerned Secretaries to the State Government with a request to furnish replies within six weeks. However, in respect of one performance review, 17 paragraphs and three thematic paragraphs included in the Report, no reply was received from the State Government. The audit findings relating to the performance reviews were also discussed with the Secretaries to the State Government and the views of the Government were incorporated wherever appropriate. A synopsis of the important findings contained in the Report is presented in the overview.
The State is responsible for identification of beneficiaries, issue of ration cards and distribution of foodgrains through the Targeted Public Distribution System. The performance audit of Public Distribution System (PDS) revealed that the State Government had covered 2.32 lakh BPL families in excess of the families identified in the survey of poor families conducted in the State during 2006-07. The State Government had not ensured periodical checking and weeding out of ineligible and bogus ration cards to prevent leakage of foodgrains to un-intended beneficiaries. On the distribution side, the State Government had also fixed a higher scale of issue of foodgrains than the Gol norms, resulting in excess distribution of foodgrains which resulted in an additional burden of Rs. 10.98 crore on GoI. There were also deficiencies in quality control system as a result of which 2066.47 MTs of sub-standard pulses and 1368.26 MTs of sub-standard foodgrains were supplied to the consumers. Vigilance committees required to be formed at block and FPS level had not been constituted in many of the blocks/FPSs for effective implementation and monitoring of the PDS. Working of monitoring mechanism of vigilance committees was also ineffective due to non-holding of meetings at required intervals to ensure timely delivery of proper quantity and quality of commodities to the beneficiaries.
The State Government had not prepared/evolved any strategic plan to provide sewerage facilities in a time bound manner. Out of 40 towns, sewerage works in 25 towns (63 per cent) were still in progress. The Department had fixed target for completion of 16 schemes during 2006-11 so as to ensure coverage of 26 towns (including ten towns covered earlier) by March 2011. Against this, the Department could provide sewerage facilities only in 15 towns (38 per cent) resulting in non-providing of timely sewerage facilities to the concerned beneficiaries. In the case of completed schemes, house connectivity remained low and resulted in underutilisation of STPs to the extent of 61 per cent. There were cost and time overruns in several schemes mainly due to land disputes. Norms prescribed by the HPSPCB for ensuring prevention of environment pollution were not adhered to in some cases. Audit also noticed instances of undue financial benefits extended to the contractors.