Rs 17,000 crore lying idle in accounts, HK Patil tells govt

BENGALURU: Senior Congress leader HK Patil on Thursday told the government that more than Rs 17,000 crore of taxpayers’ money is currently outside the State’s mainstream account. Speaking on Budget 2021-2022, Patil quoted a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report filed in February 2021 on Finance Accounts that said about Rs 4,421.56 crore of unspent balance was lying in 76 Personal Deposit (PD) accounts under the control of District Commissioners and various State Government officials, till March 2020. 

A copy of the report, signed by Girish Chandra Murmu, Comptroller and Auditor General of India, that is with The New Indian Express, also highlights that under Article 286A of the Karnataka Financial Code, all unspent balances under PD accounts should be closed at the end of the financial year. Of the total funds unspent, Rs 2,741.52 crore were scheme funds left unused for three years. 

“Apart from money in PD accounts, over Rs 2,500 crore is lying unused for years in about 540 accounts belonging to various departments. As Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, we had even informed the government that about Rs 10,000 crore is lying for years in accounts of boards and corporations beyond their stipulated time.

When I was RDPR minister, I found that an account with a private bank attached with the department had parked Rs 650 crore, and after much struggle, we returned it to the treasury. The interest alone on that amount was Rs 220 crore, which the bank hasn’t returned to date. These funds never get audited or accounted for in the mainstream account. What stops the government from recovering these idle funds? I demand a white paper on these funds,” Patil told the assembly on Thursday. 

Patil’s demand comes at a time when the government is struggling with funds, leading to a revenue deficit budget. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is expected to respond to Patil’s question during his reply on the budget debate.

THE D17K-CR CLAIM 

Total Funds in 76 PD accounts:
Rs 4,421.56 cr Scheme Funds unspent for 3 years:Rs 2,741.52 cr
(In PD accounts)
Funds in 540 accounts belonging to various departments:
Rs 2,500 cr (Approx)
Funds in accounts of boards, corps etc beyond stipulated time:
Rs 10,000 cr (Approx)
Total funds outside mainstream accounts of State:
Rs 17,000 cr (approx)