BANPUR: The State Exchequer has lost crores as it awaits payment of audit surcharges from Executive Officers (EOs) of 103 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the State. The amount stands at a staggering Rs. 26.25 crore in the last five years. To cap it, appointments to the EO posts in the ULBs are yet to be made, according to data obtained under the Right to Information Act. Instead, EOs are sourced from different departments. Textile Inspectors, Fishery Extension Officers, Block Extension Educators, Community Organisers and Statistical Advisers, not well versed in the Orissa Municipal Act, 1950, are deputed to function as EOs. Consequently, financial irregularities plague the departments. However, the audit surcharges are yet to be recovered from the delinquent officers. The EOs are, however, empowered to appeal against directives from the surcharging authority (district audit officer) to the Housing and Urban Development Minister. Data received under RTI further reveals that the Finance Department has empowered Assistant Examiner of Local Accounts-cum- District Audit Officer, LFA, to collect audit surcharges up to Rs. 50,000 while the Deputy Examiner of Local Accounts-cum-Deputy Secretary has been empowered to collect surcharges up to Rs. 1,50,000. Examiner of Local Accounts-cum-Special Secretary to government has been empowered to recover surcharges above Rs. 1,50,000. However, the outstanding amount is seldom recovered allegedly due to poor administration.The audit reports are sent to the Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, district collectors and to the executive officers of the ULBs concerned for recovery of the dues. While the EOs return to their respective parent departments after completion of their terms, neither the Finance Department nor the H ousing and Urban Development Department notifies the parent departments of the errant EOs about pending surcharges. According to information received from the Finance Department of the State Government, Rs. 6.74 crore is pending from Cuttack Municipal Corporation executive officer in 1998-99 and Rs. 61.83 lakh remains pending for 1994-95. This apart, payment of Rs. 50.44 lakh for 1999-2000, Rs. 28.63 lakh for 2000-01 and Rs. 19.48 lakh are awaited from EOs of Berhampur Municipal Corporation.The executive officers of Rourkela Municipal Corporation owes Rs. 95.91 lakh for 2002-03, 59.16 lakh for 1994-95, 49.57 lakh and Rs. 38.09 lakh for 2002-03. The EOs of Kendrapara owe Rs. 57.68 lakh for 2001-02, Rs. 34.40 lakh. EO of Dhenkanal Municipal Corporation owes Rs. 41.51 lakh for 2002-03 while the Banpur NAC EO is yet to pay Rs. 12.63 lakh from 2001 to 2007.
Comments
0 comment