Bhubaneswar: Pointing out serious flaws in implementation of Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) Yojana, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its report tabled in the Assembly Wednesday said that the previous government has doled out Rs 782.26 crore to 12.72 lakh ineligible beneficiaries under the scheme, with remote chances of recovery.
The auditor also found irregularities in disbursement of Rs 18.03-crore post-matric scholarship to ghost beneficiaries.
The report said the Agriculture department had provided KALIA aid to 65.64 lakh beneficiaries during 2019-21 and released instalments thrice to 41.64 lakh beneficiaries, twice to 8.09 lakh beneficiaries and only once to 15.91 lakh beneficiaries.
This happened due to identification of 9.76 lakh ineligible beneficiaries while implementing the scheme.
In addition to this, audit also analysed the KALIA database, with reference to other databases like SECC, VAHAN, IFMS and HRMS and identified another 2.96 lakh ineligible beneficiaries, bringing the total number of ineligible beneficiaries to 12.72 lakh who have availed Rs 782.26 crore, with remote chances of recovery, the CAG report pointed out.
The auditor also said Rs 107.64 crore was released to 1.28 lakh account holders in which the names of account holders were different from names of beneficiaries indicating payment to unauthorised persons.
PMS disbursed to ghost beneficiaries
The report also revealed irregularities in implementation of Post Matric Scholarship (PMS) scheme for ST and SC students in Khurda district. The system of identification of the beneficiaries as well as determination of their eligibility had been severely compromised leading to disbursement of scholarship to the ghost as well as ineligible beneficiaries, the CAG report pointed out. Lack of verification of caste certificates furnished by the applicants resulted in disbursement of PMS amounting to Rs 97.32 lakh. Similarly, Rs 40.51 lakh was disbursed to 48 students who had submitted fake income certificates.
PNN