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While the Congress has used the findings to accuse the government of squandering public funds, Uttarakhand Minister Subodh Uniyal stated that he has ordered a probe into the matter
CAG report reveals massive financial irregularities in Uttarakhand | File Image/PTI
An audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) revealed massive financial irregularities in Uttarakhand, with funds intended for compensatory afforestation being diverted by the state’s forest divisions for unrelated purchases, including iPhones, laptops, and refrigerators.
A CAG report on the operations of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for the 2019-2022 period revealed that Rs 13.86 crore was diverted for purposes unrelated to compensatory afforestation.
This fund is typically used to ensure that forest lands being repurposed for non-forest activities, such as industrial or infrastructure development, are offset by afforestation on an equivalent area of land.
The report also highlighted delays in compensatory afforestation, revealing that in 37 cases, implementation started eight years after final approval, resulting in a cost escalation of Rs 11.5 crore.
CAMPA guidelines stipulate that afforestation should begin within one or two years after fund allocation. Moreover, the survival rate of planted trees was only 33.5%, well below the 60-65% benchmark set by the Forest Research Institute.
Additionally, the report highlighted that the rules governing forest land transfers were disregarded. It noted that while the Centre had given in-principle approval for non-forestry projects like roads, power lines, water supply lines, railways, and off-road tracks, permission from the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) was still required.
However, in 52 cases between 2014 and 2022, work began without the DFO’s approval.
While the Congress has used the findings to accuse the government of squandering public funds, Uttarakhand Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal has stated that he has ordered an investigation into the matter concerning his department.
- Location :
Uttarakhand (Uttaranchal), India, India
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