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7 ministries mum over unspent Tk 867cr

CAG audit report for fiscal 2001-2002 reveals

RAFIQ HASAN
Seven ministries did not return to the exchequer as much as Tk 866.92 crore in unspent money at the year-end from the budget allocation in 2001-2002 fiscal year.
The primary and mass education ministry did not return Tk 166.28 crore, health and family welfare Tk 251.73 crore, home affairs Tk 4.20 crore, local government division Tk 364.49 crore, fisheries and livestock Tk 55 crore and law, justice and parliamentary affairs Tk 25.22 crore to the public coffers.
An audit report of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the ministries recently revealed this.
The audit also detected other financial irregularities of the ministries totalling Tk 22.40 lakh in the form of mainly over payment of salaries, payment without permission, expenditure on wrong heads and misappropriation and misuse of fund.
The audit report commented that the surplus money should be returned to the exchequer at the end of the fiscal year. Failure in doing so is tantamount to misuse or misappropriation of funds, it also observed.
All this also reflects the weakness in budget preparation and non-implementation of the project within the time frame, the report said, adding that the officials of the ministries could not satisfy the auditors about why the money was not returned.
A high official of the finance
ministry admitted that the trend was 'very bad' and that it reflected an inefficient financial management. He said the government already took some strict measures to put a stop to such practices.
"It happens mainly with the autonomous bodies and corporations where money is disbursed in cash in four instalments. They hesitate to refund the money fearful that they would not get adequate amount in the next fiscal. But they should refund the money at the end of the fiscal," commented the official, preferring anonymity.
Asked to comment on the full-fledged government organisations, the official said though there is a budget allocation they cannot withdraw the money from the exchequer without implementing the project. They are supposed to take money after submitting the bill against the expenditure. The money remains in the government vault but they have to submit papers about the actual account of the money for government estimate, he explained.
The government's recent policy of budgetary allocation for three years would also help discourage the trend of keeping government money in the organisations' account, he observed.
Officials at the finance ministry said the government has prepared a prescribed form to keep a list of the project while disbursing money.
According to the report, the primary and mass education ministry received Tk 1,428.43 crore for revenue expenditure. But the ministry spent Tk 1,368.80 crore, leaving Tk 59.62 crore in surplus.
On the other hand, Tk 1,115.64 crore was spent from its development budget against an allocation of Tk 1,222.31 crore.
The allocation for the ministry of health and family welfare was Tk 1,286.14 crore for revenue expenditure. The ministry could spend Tk 1205.49 crore, keeping Tk 80.65 crore unspent.
The allocation for the development budget was Tk 1,363.29 crore while Tk 1,192.20 crore was spent. The remaining Tk 171.08 crore was not refunded.
The home ministry could not utilise Tk 4.20 crore from its development budget of Tk 69.71 crore for the fiscal 2001-2002.
The Local Government Division got an allocation of Tk 3,003.45 crore for the year but could not utilise Tk 364.49 crore. The auditors did not get a proper answer about the whereabouts.
The fisheries and livestock ministry had Tk 397.24 crore allocated for revenue and development expenditure and spent Tk 355.84 crore while Tk 55 crore remained surplus.
The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs could not spend Tk 25.22 crore from its total allocation of Tk 151.91 crore for the fiscal year.