Odishatv Bureau
Bhubaneswar: The Comptroller of Auditor General (CAG) has pulled up state government for failing to submit Utilization Certificates (UCs) to central government during the financial year 2009-10.

The Utilization Certificates amounting to Rs 19, 731 crore were outstanding since 2003. Notably, the state received Rs 20, 868 crore from Centre in the last seven years.

As per CAG report, state did not furnish UCs of 97.55 per cent fund during FY 2003-04, 94.07 per cent during 2004-05, 86.99 per cent during 2005-06, 89.42 per cent during 2006-07, 94.33 per cent during 2007-08, 94. 84 per cent during 2008-09 and 98.94 per cent during 2009-10.

State Panchayatiraj department is the biggest defaulter in not submitting UCs, the CAG report stated.

However, a highly placed official in the Panchayatiraj department said all the details of FY 2009-10 have not found place in the CAG report. If UCs have not been submitted then how Centre has been disbursing funds? The official asked.

In view of this, the report should be thoroughly examined, the official opined.

Meanwhile, the Opposition has alleged that the government has not properly utilized the funds as a result of which they haven`t been able to submit the reports.

“The government cannot even send the report as they have not spent the allocated money through justified means,” Former Finance Minister Ram Krushna Patnaik said.

On the other hand, Panchayatiraj Minister Prafulla Samal has conceded that state has not submitted UCs on time.

“We have not been able publish our UCs on time. We hope to prepare the reports within a year,” Panchayat Raj Minister Prafulla Samal said.

This situation is arising as the state governments are not giving emphasis on timely submission of UCs, the CAG report stressed.

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