UP spent Rs15 cr to distribute Rs20.5 cr in Akhilesh tenure: CAG

The previous Akhilesh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh spent Rs15.06 crore on functions to distribute cheques worth Rs20.58 crore under its unemployment allowance scheme, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

The functions were held between 2012 and 2013 and the then CM Akhilesh Yadav was present at several such functions, says the report titled `General and Social Sector', tabled in the state assembly on Thursday.

The Samajwadi Party government had spent Rs8.07 crore on seating, refreshment and other arrangements and remaining Rs6.99 crore on transportation, an Indian Express report said quoting the CAG report.

Further, an avoidable expenditure of Rs15.06 crore was incurred on organising functions to distribute cheques to beneficiaries of 'Berozgari Bhatta Yojna' in 69 districts though the unemployment allowance was to be credited directly to the beneficiaries' bank accounts.

According to the CAG report, as per the rule 8.4 (i) of the scheme, the payment was to be deposited on a quarterly basis in savings bank accounts opened in nationalised banks or in the Kshetriya Gramin bank by beneficiaries. The account details had to be provided by beneficiaries on their application forms for availing of the scheme. The scheme's guidelines did not contain any provision for the transportation of beneficiaries to venues or for seating arrangements and refreshments, the IE report says.

Illegal mining
According to another CAG report tabled in the assembly, the UP exchequer was deprived of Rs477 crore of revenue because of unauthorised mining.

The report on the revenue sector for 2015-16 says the state's geology and mining department did not monitor the submission of mandatory quarterly returns and realisation of different royalty on revision of rates among others.

Besides, it adds, a penalty of Rs282 crore was not recovered from 15 lessees who extracted minerals without renewal of the mining plan and 12 lessees who were allowed to extract minerals much above the quantity approved in the plan.

Another Rs179 crore was not recovered by the government from five lessees and 2,909 brick kiln owners for extraction of sand, morrum, boulders, etc, the report said.