Following the audit, the Home Ministry has formed a committee to look into the matter. Government employees get to and fro journey cost reimbursement and leaves while availing LTC.
As per rules, all government employees may visit Jammu and Kashmir by availing the services of private airlines for travel but the tickets need to be purchased either directly from the airlines or through authorised agents only viz M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company, M/s Ashok Travels & Tours Limited and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation.
“Test check of LTC bills disclosed that 44 officers or officials of Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Culture undertook air journeys to J&K by availing relaxation provided by the government to travel by private airlines. The journeys were undertaken through three private airlines namely Indigo, Spicejet and Go Air,” the CAG said in its report.
“Further, one official of Ministry of Culture had undertaken air journey to Andaman and Nicobar Island through Air India. We carried out a check of reimbursement of LTC claims for 2013-14 and 2014-15 of these officers or officials in the Ministries by comparing the details available on the website of the airlines and found that the bills furnished with the claims were not correct,” the CAG said.
In another report, the CAG has flagged ‘undue favour’ to Wipro Ltd by UIDAI, which manages Aadhaar, in a maintenance contract involving an avoidable expenditure of nearly Rs 5 crore.
The CAG also found that UIDAI incurred a loss of Rs 1.41 crore by not following the government policy of routing its advertisements through official agency DAVP.
“Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in contravention of the provisions of the contract extended undue favour to the vendor (M/s Wipro Ltd) and incurred an avoidable expenditure of
Rs 4.92 crore on annual maintenance contract of the equipment for a period covered under warrant/free maintenance,” CAG said.
‘AEPC used faulty tendering process to benefit pvt party’
New Delhi: In a major embarrassment to Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), an arm of Textile Ministry, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has blamed the apparel exporter body for adopting faulty tendering process to benefit private players.
The CAG in its report has alleged that the tender issued by AEPC in its for leasing of a furnished office accommodation was “flawed” as it extended undue benefits to a private party, leading to a revenue loss of Rs 17.42 crore.
The AEPC published advertisements (August/September 2007) in newspapers for leasing of furnished office premises measuring 23,382 sq ft at Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi, the CAG report added.
Three bidders –M/s E-Square International, New Delhi (amount quoted Rs 200-250 per sq ft), M/s The Institute of Planning and Management (amount quoted Rs 235 per sq ft) and M/s Japan International Cooperation Agency (amount not mentioned in the bid) –were short-listed and called for negotiation on September 26, 2007. “Though M/s Teesta Urja Limited (TUL) did not participate in the tendering process, their bid was considered one week after opening of bids,” the CAG said.
M/s E-Square International did not turn up for negotiations and M/s IPM sought one day to give its best offer on September 27, 2007, but finally they also did not turn up. Representatives of M/s JICA intimated Rs 175 per sq ft as their maximum price.
“It is clear that the tendering process for leasing of furnished office accommodation was flawed as AEPC failed to maintain the sanctity of the tendering process,” the audit watchdog said.