Notwithstanding Punjab’s adverse sex ratio, the State Government had failed to utilise funds allocated under the Centre’s flagship ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ scheme for the girl child during the last two years.

The CAG report pointed that out of Rs 6.36 crore released by the Centre to the state government during 2014-16, only Rs 0.91 crore was utilised up to March 2016. Moreover, the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) had further declined in 2016 in at least four of the districts.

“Infrequent state task force meetings adversely affected the implementation of the scheme in 11 districts while the scheme could not be started in nine districts,” said the report.

The report said that although the State Task Force (STF) was constituted as per notification issued in September 2015 for monitoring the activities of BBBP, no quarterly meetings of STF were conducted for convergence and coordination between concerned departments as required under the guidelines.

It also said that initially, 11 districts of Punjab were included in April 2015 under the scheme. Subsequently, nine other districts were added by the central government.

CAG pointed that there was decrease in SRB in six districts of Punjab during 2015 in comparison to the baseline values of SRB in the year 2014. Punjab has a skewed sex ratio of 895 girls for every 1,000 boys.

“Audit also noticed that in four of these districts, the SRB was not only declining but was also less than overall SRB of State, 892 as in March 2016,” the report said. Barnala's SRB in 2014 was 836, but it dropped to 821 in 2015. likewise, Ferozepur's SRB was 871 in 2015 as against 895 in 2014.

Gurdaspur's SRB was 851 in 2015 as against 889 in 2014 while Sangrur's SRB dropped to 832 in 2015 from 863 the previous year. Mohali (SAS Nagar), too, reported a fall in SRB, which came down from 956 in 2014 to 923 in 2015.

POOR PRESERVATION OF WHEAT COST Rs 93.29 CR TO PUNSUP

Poor preservation and maintenance of wheat stock resulted in loss of Rs 93.29 crore to Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation limited, the CAG said. In all 81,978 MTs of wheat deteriorated.

Besides, lack of a system for monitoring of timely raising of bills resulted in delayed claims and consequential loss of interest of Rs 8.94 crore, said the CAG report.

Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation limited, popularly known as PUNSUP, procures wheat from central pool of the Union government on behalf of Food Corporation of India (FCI).

The audit observed that in March 2015, Muktsar district office of the company had stored 1,60,785 MTs wheat in crop year 2011-12 at its various locations. “Out of this, FCI declared (April 2012) that 81,978 MTs of wheat had deteriorated due to poor maintenance and preservation,” the CAG said.

FCI intimated the PUNSUP's head office and district office regarding poor maintenance of wheat stocks and requested for its timely upgradation, the CAG said.

In spite of extensions allowed by FCI up to December 2013 for upgradation of wheat, the company could offer only 19,863 MTs out of which FCI accepted 9,133 MTs. “The balanced wheat stock of 72,845 MTs valuing of Rs 149.60 crore was declared as damaged by the FCI," the CAG said.

Centre's guidelines had directed that the damaged wheat stock was to be disposed of within a maximum period of six months from the date of declaration of stocks as damaged. “Though the wheat stock of 72,845 MTs was declared as damaged in August-September 2014, the company could dispose of only 15,843 MTs of damaged wheat," the CAG noted.

During disposal of wheat, a further shortage of 3,116 MTs valuing Rs 6.40 crore was detected. The company realised Rs 10.27 crore from disposal of balance 12,727 MT wheat against Rs 26.13 crore being the value of 12,727 MTs resulting in a loss of Rs 15.86 crore.

“At this proportion of loss on 12,727 MTs, the projected loss on entire damaged quantity of 69,729 MTs worked out to Rs 86.89 crore,” the CAG said.

Test check of records of the district office Amritsar revealed that during April 2009 to March 2013, the district office delivered 1,09,554 MTs of wheat.

86% FUNDS UNUTIlISED UNDER BBBP, SEX RATIO DIPS IN FOUR DISTRICTS

Notwithstanding Punjab’s adverse sex ratio, the state government had failed to utilise funds allocated under the Centre's flagship ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ scheme for the girl child during the last two years.

The CAG report pointed that out of Rs 6.36 crore released by the Centre to the state government during 2014-16, only Rs 0.91 crore was utilised up to March 2016. Moreover, the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) had further declined in 2016 in at least four of the districts.

“Infrequent state task force meetings adversely affected the implementation of the scheme in 11 districts while the scheme could not be started in nine districts,” said the report.

The report said that although the State Task Force (STF) was constituted as per notification issued in September 2015 for monitoring the activities of BBBP, no quarterly meetings of STF were conducted for convergence and coordination between concerned departments as required under the guidelines.

It also said that initially, 11 districts of Punjab were included in April 2015 under the scheme. Subsequently, nine other districts were added by the central government.

CAG pointed that there was decrease in SRB in six districts of Punjab during 2015 in comparison to the baseline values of SRB in the year 2014. Punjab has a skewed sex ratio of 895 girls for every 1,000 boys.

“Audit also noticed that in four of these districts, the SRB was not only declining but was also less than overall SRB of State, 892 as in March 2016,” the report said. Barnala's SRB in 2014 was 836, but it dropped to 821 in 2015. likewise, Ferozepur's SRB was 871 in 2015 as against 895 in 2014.

Gurdaspur's SRB was 851 in 2015 as against 889 in 2014 while Sangrur's SRB dropped to 832 in 2015 from 863 the previous year. Mohali (SAS Nagar), too, reported a fall in SRB, which came down from 956 in 2014 to 923 in 2015.