A Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report has flagged financial irregularities in the Excise Supply Chain Information Management System (ESCIMS), stating that an undue benefit of `24.23 Crore was given to the implementing agency.
Presented in the newly elected Delhi Assembly on Monday, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report - 'Performance Audit Report on Regulation and Supply of Liquor in Delhi' -revealed that payments were made for liquor bottles that were not authenticated through barcode scanning at the Point of Sale (POS).
According to the report, the implementing agency (IA) got the benefit during the period from December 2013 to November 2022. In February 2010, the Delhi Cabinet decided that barcoding would be introduced for all liquor sold in the city to curb smuggling and ensure traceability.
The ESCIMS project, implemented through an IA selected via a bidding process, covered "barcoding of all liquor, inventory management and payment solution for all stakeholders (Excise Department, wholesale licensees and retail outlets) in its scope," the report stated.As per the contract, the IA was ntitled to payments only for barcodes authenticated at POS during sales. However, the audit found that between December 2013 and November 2022, barcode authentication amounted to `65.88 Crore, whereas the actual payment liability created was `90.11 Crore.
"The difference amounting to `24.23 Crore (excluding service tax or GST) was considered for payment, for bottles considered as sold through stock-take-sold exercise, ie, without actual authentication at POS," the report highlighted.