Swachh Bharat Mission: CAG points out irregularities in scheme in J&K - Hindustan Times
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Swachh Bharat Mission: CAG points out irregularities in scheme in J&K

ByMir Ehsan, Srinagar
Mar 31, 2023 10:56 PM IST

Swachh Bharat Mission Urban was launched to make urban India 100 per cent free from open defecation in areas falling under urban local bodies by October 2019.

CAG report has pointed out massive irregularities in the urban housing department, municipal corporations of Srinagar and Jammu and the municipal councils and committees in the Swachh Bharat Mission scheme launched by the Centre in 2014.

The CAG report said that non-conducting of survey for identification of beneficiaries had resulted in wasteful expenditure of <span class='webrupee'>₹</span> 1.09 crore.(File)
The CAG report said that non-conducting of survey for identification of beneficiaries had resulted in wasteful expenditure of 1.09 crore.(File)

The flagship scheme of the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban was launched with the objective of making urban India 100 per cent free from open defecation in areas falling under the urban local bodies in the country by October 2019.

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Under the scheme as per the CAG report, individual household latrines (IHHLs) and public toilets (PTs) were carried out covering the period from 2016-17 to 2020-21. “It was noticed that the ULBs had not carried out house-to-house survey to identify beneficiaries for providing IHHLs. Progress of work was not closely monitored, and no monitoring reports were on record.”

The CAG report further pointed out that beneficiary survey and physical verification of selected 942 IHHLs shown constructed by NGOs revealed that only 95 (10 per cent) were functional.

“Further, doubtful payment of 116.48 lakh was made to NGOs in respect of construction of IHHLs and there was unproductive expenditure of 91.30 lakh in respect of 522 IHHLs. Out of 173 physically verified PTs, 108 PTs (63 per cent) were either incomplete, abandoned or non-functional,” the report said.

Housing and urban development department (H&UDD), Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), directors of urban local bodies (ULBs), Jammu and Srinagar, and 76 municipal councils/ committees are responsible for implementation of SBM (U).

The audit of two components under Swachh Bharat Mission (U) viz. individual household latrines (IHHLs) and public toilets (PTs), was carried out covering the period from 2016-17 to 2020-21.

The CAG report revealed that during the period 2016-21, 51,246 IHHLs and 2,621 PTs were constructed in the 78 ULBs (JMC, SMC and 76 municipal councils/ committees) of Jammu and Kashmir. Scrutiny of records of directors of urban local bodies (ULBs), Jammu and Srinagar and JMC, SMC and 19 other ULBs2 (out of 76 municipal councils/ committees) was carried out.

The report said as per rule (50 per cent) of incentive for construction of IHHL should not be released without verification of beneficiary. Audit observed in Municipal Council, Sopore and Shopian that out of 1,563 beneficiaries, 154 beneficiaries were paid 3.15 lakh in 2016-17 as 1st instalment for construction of sanitary latrines.

The report said that non-conducting of survey for identification of beneficiaries had resulted in wasteful expenditure of 1.09 crore (including 3.06 lakh paid to these 51 beneficiaries) paid to these 1,828 beneficiaries.

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