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Item Performance Audit on Mid Day Meal Scheme in Arunachal Pradesh (2009-2014)(CAG of India, 21-07-2015) CAG of IndiaThe ‘National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education’, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, commonly known as ‘Mid-Day Meal’ (MDM) Scheme, was launched with the primary objective of boosting the universalisation of primary education by increasing enrolment, retention & attendance and simultaneously improving nutritional status of primary school children. Performance Audit of the scheme revealed that the Department covered all Government Primary/Upper Primary Schools (3116), Government-aided Primary/Upper Primary Schools (68) and EGS/AIE Centres (155) in the State under the scheme. However, there were deficiencies like inadequate financial management, short-lifting of food grains, delay in release of funds to schools for meeting cooking costs, inadequate infrastructural facilities in schools and lack of monitoring by the Department. Some major audit findings are highlighted below: 1. No household surveys were conducted to identify the total number of children not enrolled at the Primary stage. No attempt was also made to encourage high level of enrolment through publicity, etc. 2. In 2010-11, against GoI total allocation of 6,687.66 MT of food grains for Primary/Upper Primary level, the Department lifted only 5,928.37 MT and during 2013-14, against the allocation of 6,625.01 MT of food grains for Primary/Upper Primary levels, only 6,598.95 MT were lifted, leading to shortlifting of 785.35 MT of food grains. 3. There was a shortfall in provision of 47,360 meals due to short receipt of food grains in 137 schools. 4. In six schools of West Kameng and Lohit District, 46.61 quintals (23 per cent) of the allotted rice was issued as dry rations instead of cooked meals, violating directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. 5. In 150 test-checked schools, pucca kitchen sheds were not available in 130 (87 per cent) schools; drinking water facilities in 35 (23 per cent) schools; gasbased chullahs in 148 (99 per cent) schools; and cooking utensils in 9 (6 per cent) schools. 6. During the period 2009-14, there were persistent savings ranging from 1 per cent to 32 per cent. 7. From 2009 to 2014, there were delays ranging up to 21 months in release of Central assistance by the State Government to the Nodal Department. 8. The State Government did not contribute its share, aggregating to ₹ 12.93 crore (63.69 per cent), towards Conversion Costs, Honorarium to cooks-cum-helpers and MME costs. 9. There were deficiencies in meetings of the State, District and Block Level Monitoring Cells to monitor implementation of the scheme. 10. Findings of evaluation studies conducted by an Independent Agency to assess the impact of the scheme were not discussed by the State SMC to address the deficiencies pointed out in the Evaluation Reports.Item Avoidable Expenditure on Water Supply Contract for District Hospitals in Mizoram(CAG of India, 16-02-2023) CAG of IndiaDirectorate of Hospital and Medical Education (DHME), Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Mizoram (GoM), Aizawl entered (May and December 2012) into Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with a firm M/s Intergen Energy Limited (IGEL), New Delhi for installation of renewable energy and water treatment plant to supply water at nine Hospitals which include Referral Hospital, Falkawn and all eight District Hospitals of Mizoram. This was based on the suo-moto proposal submitted (February 2012) by the firm to GoM, for installation of Water Treatment Plant with solar power water pumping system to supply water on the basis of BOOT at the nine Hospitals. Audit observed that all Hospitals were getting water supplies on priority from Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department and there were no insufficiency in supply of water to the Hospitals reported, before or during the period of MoU with IGEL. Hence, engagement of IGEL was arbitrary and proposal of the firm was agreed to by the Department without ascertaining the actual need for water supply in the Hospital. Thus, expenditure of ₹ 0.50 crore for installation of Water Treatment Plants in five Hospitals and ₹ 4.80 crore on buy-back MoU in June 2019 totalling ₹ 5.30 crore was avoidable as there was no scarcity of water in the Hospitals prior to signing of agreement with the firm. Hospitals also did not report any issue in water supply during the stoppage of operation of the firm. Hence, there was a total avoidable expenditure of ₹ 5.30 crore in addition to committed liability of ₹ 4.20 crore against the balance payable on MoU on buy-back of equipment and water supplied. Further, Department, was supposed to terminate the MoUs on failure of IGEL to supply the required volume of water but entered into an unnecessary buy-back agreement.Item Idle Expenditure on Laboratory Equipment and Software for Polytechnics and Govt Engineering Colleges in Chhattisgarh(CAG of India, 25-07-2015) CAG of IndiaProcurement of laboratory equipment and software without assessing the requirement and without ensuring the availability of necessary infrastructure to utilise the equipment resulted in idle expenditure of ₹ 8.62 crore.Item Unfruitful Expenditure Due to Non Functional Trauma Hospital at Khellani Jammu and Kashmir(CAG of India, 23-09-2020) CAG of IndiaFailure of Health and Medical Education Department to make the Trauma Hospital Khellani functional through posting of necessary staff and provision of laboratory/ diagnostic facilities, operation theatre, blood bank and ambulance etc., has rendered the investment of INR 394.59 lakh unfruitful.Item Performance Audit of District Hospitals in Manipur(CAG of India, 2021) CAG of IndiaThis Stand Alone Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India contains the results of Performance Audit of Select Public Health facilities of tertiary care (Medical College & Hospitals), secondary care (District-level Hospitals), and primary care (one CHC and one PHC in selected districts) in the State of Manipur covering the period 2014-15 to 2018-19. In this Performance Audit we have focused on patient care given by secondary and tertiary care levels in the State. We assessed the availability of basic infrastructure facilities in the State, adequacy of manpower in the selected DHs and various Services provided therein like Out-Patient and In-patient Services, Emergency Services, Drug Management, Infection Control, Bio Medical Waste Management, Diagnostic Services, Fire control measures etc. and select services of maternity and child care, Cancer and HIV/ AIDS, based on pre-determined performance indicators/criteria in the sampled hospitals. We have adopted the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) guidelines as prescribed by Government of India, which are a set of uniform standards envisaged to improve the quality of health care delivery in the country as well as State norms as applicable for benchmarking various audit findings.Item Undue Favour to a Firm for Setting up of Language Laboratories in Universities in Odisha(CAG of India, 20-09-2018) CAG of IndiaThe decision to award the work of setting up of LLs in 108 colleges of the State to a private firm on nomination basis was not in order. Further, there was no enrolment in 42 colleges where LLs were set up at the total cost of ₹ 8.64 crore.Item Procurement of Disposables at Higher Cost in Karnataka(CAG of India, 09-12-2020) CAG of IndiaFailure of the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubballi to finalise its tender for procurement of disposables within the scheduled time resulted in re-tendering and additional expenditure of INR 1.18 crore.Item Excess Payment to Contractors on IFMS at Eight Super Speciality Hospitals in West Bengal(CAG of India, 25-03-2022) CAG of IndiaWest Bengal Medical Services Corporation Limited made an excess payment of INR 4.93 crore to three contractors for Integrated Facility Management Services in eight Super Specialty Hospitals during March 2018 to August 2020, as it allowed payment in excess of carpet area in deviation from bid documents.Item Performance Audit of Post Matric Scholarships for Scheduled Caste Students (All India Report 2012-2017)(CAG of India, 07-08-2018) CAG of IndiaAt the request of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, a performance audit of the implementation of the scheme covering a period of five years from 2012-13 to 2016-17 in five States of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh was undertaken by audit. The total expenditure incurred in the scheme in the five States was INR 18,647 crore during the period 2012-17 benefitting 1.36 crore students from the SC community. The performance audit of the implementation of the scheme brought out systemic gaps in scheme guidelines themselves as well as lack of planning, poor financial management and irregularities in disbursement of scholarship funds with a financial implication of ` 581.68 crore as well as discrepancies and inconsistencies in data generated through the web portals with an additional financial involvement of ` 455.98 crore that pointed to the need for a thorough review of the scheme guidelines as well as its implementation so as to ensure that the scheme funds were not misused or diverted for other purposes. Scheme guidelines, critical for laying down mechanism for various processes, were found deficient in many aspects. No mechanism was prescribed for any of the planning exercises of preparation of action plan/perspective plan for identification of eligible beneficiaries before submission of proposals for central assistance to the Ministry nor did the guidelines prescribe any timelines for submission of application by students and their scrutiny and approval. Consequently, there were delays in payment of scholarship to 18.58 lakh students ranging between one to six years in four States of Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. The guidelines also do not contain any provision for monitoring and evaluation that are essential for decision-makers to realistically evaluate the progress of the scheme and identify impediments to its efficient implementation. The implementation of the scheme was constrained by inadequate allocation of funds by the Central Government as well as poor financial management by the States. Government of India could not meet the growing demand for funds from the States which resulted in accumulation of arrears amounting to INR 5,368 crore in the five selected States. Even the available funds could not be fully utilised in three States of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh with INR 375.30 crore remaining undisbursed due to mismatch of bank details which resulted in depriving eligible students of the scholarships. Further, INR 28.94 crore of scholarship funds was diverted in Karnataka and Maharashtra for maintenance of e-scholarship portal and purchase of stationery, computers, etc., during 2012-17. The States also failed to ensure adherence to the scheme guidelines relating to eligibility of beneficiaries and procedures for processing of applications and disbursal of scholarship funds. Audit noted short reimbursement/denial of scholarship amounting to INR 125.82 crore in three States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Punjab. There was excess payment of scholarship of INR 49.67 crore to 1.88 lakh students in Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh during 2012-17 due to incorrect application of rates. In Uttar Pradesh, 374 ineligible students were reimbursed scholarship of INR 1.95 crore during 2012-17. Non-adherence to the scheme guidelines relating to revision of income ceiling by Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh with effect from academic session 2013-14 resulted in denial of benefit to eligible students in the States. The States of Punjab, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh were also not covering certain components of the scholarship viz. thesis allowance, book allowance, disability allowance, study tour charges. The Ministry was unable to implement PMS-SC through National Scholarship Portal due to technical issues and decided to implement the same through State portals. However, the State portals lacked both general and application controls required for ensuring access security and providing assurance that transactions are valid, authorized, complete and accurate. In Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, audit noticed discrepancies in data generated by the State portals with financial implication of INR 455.98 crore that necessitates a comprehensive investigation by Ministry as well as States to obviate the risk of irregular payment and malfeasance. Institutional mechanisms for monitoring and grievance redressal including internal audits, periodic inspections and appointment of grievance redressal officers were either not in place or practically non-operational. The Ministry had also not carried out any comprehensive evaluation of the implementation of the scheme to identify changes needed to enhance its effectiveness and ensure achievement of its objectives.Item Performance Audit of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) in Kerala (2006-2011)(CAG of India, 19-03-2013) CAG of IndiaThe Integrated Child Development Services launched in 1975 in India aims at holistic development of children up to six years ofage, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating mothers by providing a package of services like supplementary nutrition, immunisation, health check up, nutrition and health education, etc. This performance review of the implementation of the scheme in Kerala for the period 2006-07 to 2010-11 revealed deficiencies in the implementation of the scheme such as delay in release offunds for scheme implementation, failure to cover the entire targeted population, etc., thereby defeating the basic objectives of the Scheme. Contrary to Government of India guidelines, Take Home Food delivered to children between six months and three years in the State was not fortified with micro-nutrients. The main audit findings are given below: 1. The department was not preparing any long term perspective plan. In the absence of the plan, there were deficiencies in creation of new AWCs and insufficiencies in the delivery of services to beneficiaries in various components in ICDS. 2. There was a shortage of 8,619 Anganwadi Centres (21 per cent) in the State. Fourteen additional Anganwadi Centres (AWCs), sanctioned in 2005 by GOI, were yet to be operationalized. 3. Many functional AWCs in the test checked ICDS projects were functioning in rented premises and lacked basic infrastructure facilities like safe drinking water, toilets, etc. 4. The percentage of child population who were not immunized against Polio and DPT in Palakkad and Malappuram districts were respectively 36 and 31. 5. The objective of universalization of Supplementary Nutrition Programme was not achieved as 56 to 66 per cent of the identified beneficiaries were not covered under the Scheme. 6. The percentage of malnourished children below the age of six years in the State ranged between 27 and 39. Test check of records in Idukki, Malappuram, Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram districts indicated that 110 out of 1180 children who died during 2011-12, were severely malnourished. 7. GOI guidelines stipulating periodical weighment of child beneficiaries under Supplementary Nutrition Programme to assess their nutritional status was not adhered to during 2007-12. 8. Take Home Ration (THR) valued at % 257.38 crore was purchased from an agency which did not possess the mandatory BIS certification. It was also noticed that an amount of z 22.44 crore was overcharged by the supplier. In a number of cases, test results of the samples of the product were stated to be not satisfactory.