PANAJI: The Comptroller and Auditor General has said that delay in submission of annual plans resulted in delayed release of funds by the central government aimed at modernizing the state police force.

The CAG in its report for the year ending March 31, 2009, has said that the proposed annual plan was submitted late as a result of which the funds were released by the Centre at the fag end of the year which led to non-utilisation of the amount during the same financial year.

It has also stated that shortage of vehicles adversely affected the mobility of the police force and the weapons were issued to the police stations after delays of three years of receipt.

It has also pointed out that the percentage of vacancies in the police force ranged from five to 10 per cent during the five year period of 2004-09.

The CAG report also has pointed out that shortage of manpower and failure of a server hindered the operations of the finger print bureau. It also states that the police communication network and common integrated police application project were not functioning for want of connectivity and maintenance support from a supplier.

It has also stated that failure of the government to constitute a state level empowered committee resulted in poor monitoring and implementation of the scheme.

The CAG report has also found loopholes in the computerisation of directorate of accounts saying that it was implemented without a time-bound programme. It has stated that significant deficiencies were noticed during its operations and that several processes were left out during implementation.

It has also pointed out that an appropriate control and security mechanism was not evolved, resulting in faulty system operation and applications in an unsecured environment. The CAG report has also pointed out the business process re-engineering was not carried out to bring in more efficient processes and that the system failed to check allocation of grants before passing bills.

The CAG report has also pointed out that the audit of financial transactions test-checked in various departments of the government and their field offices has revealed instances of misappropriation, avoidable expenditure and idle investments/establishment involving Rs 15.70 crore in the departments of art and culture, civil supplies and consumer affairs, forests, housing, public works and urban development.

It has also pointed out that payment of processing fee by Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd for term loan at abnormally high rate resulted in extra expenditure of Rs 1.28 crore, besides also pointing out that erroneous computation of rebate for power factor improvement in respect of HT/LT consumers resulted in loss of revenue of Rs 4.53 crore to Goa
electricity department.