BHOPAL: Raising serious objections on maintenance of accounts at MP Pollution Control Board, the auditors maintained that Board does not adhere to accounting standards creating a scope for fraud and manipulations foul play. The audit report tabled in state Assembly for the year 2017-18 says that there isn’t a uniform accounting policy between regional offices and head office. Pointing blatant mishandling of accounts, audit report said that even the bank accounts differ from the balance books. Citing example it says Rs 1 lakh credited in Punjab National Bank account was not recorded in the books of account. An amount of Rs 3.53 crore is pending with ministry of forest and environment, says the report.
Recovery of Rs 14,31,100 has been calculated on 14 industries but board hasn’t been active to recover it. The pollution board has not realised renewal and consent the fees from many industries . Industries have decided their own fees based on their own calculations causing loss to the board. ‘A process for internal audit should be laid down by the board in order to evaluate and ensure that fees charged for consent or renewal license is correct or not,’ commented the audit report. Regional offices have failed to collect the fees to the tune of Rs 80.23 lakhs, found the audit report.
The report has also questioned board’s purchases implying that purchases were made ignoring the quantum of stock already lying in its inventory. Several discrepancies related to employees advance, filing income tax return, tax deduction etc also have also been pointed out by the auditors.