PANJIM: A recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed that Goa failed to utilise 41% of funds allocated under the Central Government’s Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) Scheme during 2020-21 and 2021-22. According to the report tabled in the Assembly, the Central Government transferred a total of Rs 28.97 crore to the State during these two years. However, the State government was able to utilise only 59% of the allocated funds, amounting to Rs 17.02 crore, leaving a substantial balance of Rs 11.95 crore unused – even as many parts of Goa experience severe shortage of drinking water during the dry months.
The Central Government had provided Rs 6.20 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 22.77 crore in 2021-22 as its share under the Jal Jeevan Mission Scheme. The State’s inability to fully utilise the funds led it to miss out on additional funding in the subsequent year – the Goa government was unable to avail itself of Rs 24.99 crore in grants for the year 2022-23.
Moreover, the CAG report highlighted financial mismanagement, noting that the State government incurred an expenditure of Rs 14.03 crore without any budgetary provision under three separate grants. This action violated Article 204 of the Constitution of India, which mandates that no money shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund except under appropriation made by law by the State Legislature.
The report further observed that at the end of the financial year, 25.07% of the total budgetary provision remained unutilised. Additionally, supplementary provisions, which constituted 7.76% of the original budget, were found to be unnecessary, as the savings were significantly higher than these supplementary provisions.