PORVORIM: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has exposed Goa government’s deficiencies in identification of beneficiaries of its three major social welfare schemes resulting in loss of over Rs 550 crore to State exchequers from 2012-17.
CAG in its report ending March 31, 2017, tabled on the Floor of the House on Friday, has said that there was a considerable leakage of government money to the tune of Rs 551.49 crore, by way of disbursement of financial assistance to ineligible, expired, bogus beneficiaries of the social welfare schemes – Dayanand Social Security Scheme (DSSS), Griha Aadhar and Laadli Laxmi.
The CAG report stated that under Laadli Laxmi scheme, the Department of Social Welfare granted financial assistance of Rs 294.63 crore to 29,463 beneficiaries, which is almost 61 per cent of the total beneficiaries, during 2012-17 for the purpose of their marriage, though, they were already married at the time of submitting application, which is against the intent and objectives of the scheme Rules, 2012, which aimed at mitigating financial burden of parents at the time of marriage of girl child.
It has also revealed that the department disbursed an amount of Rs 110.72 crore to 46,135 defaulting beneficiaries of DSSS during 2016-17, without obtaining life certificates.
Further, the data analysis revealed that 6,223 of 98,644 senior citizens; 3,327 of 32,141 single women; and 1,162 of 11,001 differently-abled beneficiaries availed of financial assistance aggregating Rs 40.34 crore under DSSS during 2012-17, though they had an annual income of Rs 24,000 or above and were, therefore, ineligible under the DSSS Rules, 2001.
“Further, the scheme benefit to the senior citizens was to commence from the date of their attaining the age of 60 years. Audit, however, observed that 5,227 persons had applied for and availed of financial assistance under the scheme, even before they attained the qualifying age of 60 years. During 2012-17, these persons received Rs 35.91 crore as financial assistance,” the reported stated.
As far as the overlapping benefits availed by DSSS beneficiaries are concerned, at the current rate, 1996 people got financial assistance to Rs 4.79 crore, though they were also simultaneously receiving financial assistance under other social welfare, pension schemes of the State and Central government.
Data analysis revealed that the husbands of 37 Griha Aadhar beneficiaries were in receipt of recurring benefit aggregating Rs 20.22 lakhs under DSSS, in violation of the scheme guidelines.
The Audit observed that 18 senior citizens beneficiaries had registered more than once with different registration numbers, application IDs and sanction IDs at different times and availed financial assistance up to Rs 41.94 lakh during the last six years.
“Data analysis revealed that 108 beneficiaries under DSSS and 31 beneficiaries under Griha Aadhaar scheme, who availed of financial assistance of Rs 28.18 lakh and Rs 6.23 lakh respectively during 2012-17, had expired during the period but they were in receipt of recurring financial assistance even after their death,” CAG said.
Pointing out that under DSSS Rules, 2001, the annual income of an applicant should not exceed the annual financial assistance Rs 24,000 granted to him or her under the scheme, CAG said, however, financial assistance of Rs 5.94 crore was granted to 1,162 of 11,001 differently abled applicants during the 2012-17, irrespective of their annual income which varied from Rs 24,000 to Rs 13.18 lakh.
“The implementing departments did not conduct comprehensive scrutiny of applications as well as physical survey to identify ineligible beneficiaries. The software system developed for operation and management of the DSSS was flawed as it did not have complete and accurate data on all beneficiaries. The system of identification of bona fide beneficiaries was thus rendered impossible,” CAG concluded.
CAG further observed that the monitoring and internal control system over the schemes was inadequate in the absence of robust software system.
