CAG report tabled in assembly flags 'lapses', 'wasteful' expenses by Delhi govt departments
A CAG report listing several revenue-related "irregularities", "systemic lapses" and "wasteful" expenses by various Delhi government departments between 2019-2023, was tabled in Delhi Assembly by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report stated that the total revenue receipts of the Delhi government for the year 2022-23 were Rs 62,703 crore as compared to Rs 43,112.60 crore in the year 2018-19.
Out of the total revenue in 2022-23, Rs 47,363 crore (75.53 per cent) was tax revenue with non-tax revenue of Rs 581 crore (0.93 per cent) and Grants-in-Aid from the Government of India of Rs 14,759 crore (23.54 per cent).
The audit report found through test checks irregularities like non/short levy of taxes and fees, involving Rs 220.59 crore in 145 cases in records of 22 units relating to Goods and Services Tax, Value Added Tax, Stamp Duty and Registration Fees, Motor Vehicles Tax and State Excise conducted during the year 2023-24.
The departments concerned did not provide any reply to these audit findings, said the report.
The audit observed "systemic lapses" on examining the eway bill system such as "ineligible taxpayers continuing under composition levy scheme" and "taxpayers filing nil returns or not filing returns despite generation E-Way Bills, generation of multiple eway bills on the same invoices" .
Wasteful expenditure of Rs 1.05 crore, on conducting examination for the posts of junior engineer conducted by Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board, was noted by the report.
The audit also observed that the subsidy policy of Delhi government for the power sector "did not target the deserving and disadvantaged" section of the population and paid it to nearly the entire domestic consumer base.
It noted that Delhi State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) made an "unfruitful expenditure" of Rs 29.45 crore by acquiring in 2006, leasehold rights for 99 years over the land measuring 137.63 acres at Baprola for setting up a Jewelry Park and Fashion Design Hub.
Despite lapse of 18 years since allotment of the land, "indecision and frequent changes" in use of 59 per cent of the allotted land (measuring 81.42 acre) resulted in unfruitful expenditure of Rs 29.45 crore.
Transport department faced loss of interest to the tune of Rs 5.50 crore due to delay in investment of surplus funds, it further said.
The DTC EPF Trust failed to timely invest the surplus funds of the employees’ provident fund contributions during the period April 2020 to March 2023, which resulted in a potential loss of interest of Rs 5.50 crore, it added.
