East Godavari faces lakhs of audit objections

Kakinada: By the end of March 2017, as many as 3.34 lakh audit objections involving an expenditure of Rs 1229.89 crore are pending from 11 departments and other organisations.Some of the major cases are 4,548 transactions worth Rs 502.28 crore in Kakinada and Rajamahendravaram municipal corporations.

With regards to Tuni, Pithapuram, Peddapuram, Samarla Kota, Ramachandrapuram, Mandapeta, Amalapuram municipalities, Yaleswaram, Gollaprolu, and Mummidivaram Municipal [Nagara] Panchayats ,in total 9,480 cases pertaining to Rs 126.31 crore transactions are pending for clearance.

Highlights:

• Major cases involve municipal corporations, Nannaya University, religious bodies and other government departments
• Though it is mandatory to provide the necessary information in three months time, majority of these cases stand unattended for several years involving crores of rupees of public money.
• It is said that lack of any disciplinary action is said as the main reason for the laxity on apart of concerned staff

Similarly the recently started Nannaya University has 176 objections to the tune if Rs 9.53 crore. The East Godavari ZP also stands in the list with 3195 cases with transactions of Rs 155.31 crore. The 64 mandal parishads together have 12,995 objections to the extent of Rs 65.40 crore.

The Hindu religious and endowment organizations including Annavaram Sri Satyanarayana Swamy temple together have as many as 95.250 pending audit objections to the extent of Rs 101.01 crore. The 1064 gram panchayats in the district together accounts for Rs 198.98 crore worth of objections. E- Sevas, Rythu Bazaars and Agriculture Market committees also find their place in the lists wit audit objections.

The state audit department conducts annual audit every year to assess the income expenditure of various departments including local bodies both ZP and Mandal parishads, municipalities, municipal corporations, universities , Hindu Religious and endowment organisations, Rythu Bazars and other organisations.

The auditors of the department seek several clarifications from the concerned staff on expenditure. If no satisfactory clarity is given on a particular spending , the same will be kept in the list of audit objections and the concerned official or staff has to provide the details in a span of three months time from the date of objection raised on spending.

The notable aspect on these raised objections is, though it is mandatory to provide the necessary information in three months time, majority of these cases stands un attended for several years involving crores of rupees of public money. It is said that lack of any disciplinary action is said as the main reason for the laxity on apart of concerned staff.

In several cases the pending audit continues unsolved as the concerned employee either has retired or expired after retirement. Clarifying on the issue East Godavari district audit officer [DAO], L. Phirozi said that “ when any particular audit objections stands uncleared beyond the stipulated time we refer the same to the head of concerned department or organisation. We do not have any powers to recommend for action on particular employee for delay or failure in providing the necessary information”the DAO clarified.