CAG pulls up Bengal govt, Mamata asks for ‘corrective’ steps

KOLKATA:  The West Bengal government has asked all 128 urban civic bodies, municipal corporations and municipalities across the state to initiate a slew of ‘’corrective’’ measures in their daily functioning after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has highlighted irregularities in their affairs. The state government’s directive comes after the CAG pointed out the anomalies which could result in the disruption in the fund flow from the Centre.

The municipal corporations and municipalities get Central funds under schemes like housing for the poor, management of solid waste and drinking water facilities. Besides, funds of the Finance Commission are also given to the civic bodies.

On Tuesday, a meeting between senior urban development and municipal affairs officials and representatives of the civic bodies was held where it was decided that the finance officers of the civic bodies would have to play a key role to ensure that the direction of corrective measures were followed, said a senior official at Nabanna, the state secretariat. 

“By suspending the release of funds under several schemes, the Centre has sent a message to the state government that no financial irregularities will be tolerated. The corrective measures were initiated to avoid the Central government’s stern action. The cash-strapped state government does not want the funds to be held up by the Centre like it happened for rural bodies,” said the official. 

The Centre has stopped releasing funds for gram panchayats under several schemes, which include 100-day work, housing for the poor and construction of rural roads, alleging irregularities and change of central projects’ names by the state government.