BHUBANESWAR: Diversion of huge funds from tribal area sub-plan (TASP) provisions for implementation of projects in other areas has been opposed by the Opposition political parties. The issue was also raised several times by tribal legislators cutting across party lines in different sessions of the Assembly. The Comptroller and Audit General (CAG) has taken exception to large-scale diversion of funds from the TASP to other projects in its latest report tabled in the winter session of the Assembly and described it as highly irregular and completely inadmissible. It has recommended a thorough investigation into the massive lapse in budgetary control mechanism. Provisions of ` 6 crore and ` 5 crore were made in the Works Department budget for construction of a flyover at Rajmahal Square here and improvement of the Daya canal on the outskirts respectively out of the TASP funds, the report said. Out of the above provisions, ` 8 crore was utilised on construction of the flyover (` 4 crore as per the budget provision and ` 4 crore more through re-appropriation). The CAG observed that as the Capital City is in Khurda district and does not come under the scheduled area, the expenditure of TASP funds in the City were highly irregular and inadmissible. Due to the diversion of the TASP funds for development of the Capital, the legitimate tribal beneficiaries were deprived of the socio-economic development envisaged in the plan, it added. The CAG has also pointed out the lapses by the Finance and Planning and Coordination departments which failed to point out the irregular budgeting method adopted by the Works Department neither at the initial preparation stage nor at the re-appropriation stage. The chief engineer (roads), however, replied to an audit query in July, 2011, that the utilisation of the TASP funds was made in consideration of the fact that the Capital covers a wide range of people, including tribals, irrespective of caste or creed. With the City having a tribal population of only 97,186 (1.19 per cent) of the total tribal population of 81.54 lakh in the State, the chief engineer appeared to be too far-fetched, it said. The report said as the City is covered under the Centrally-sponsored Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme, funds from this could have been utilised for the purpose.
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