CAG pulls up Haryana on ‘Beti Bachao’ scheme

CHANDIGARH: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has pulled up the Haryana government for “diversion of funds” and non-achievement of 100% re-enrolment of dropout girls under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’scheme.

Besides, the sex ratio target of Panipat district from where the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ (BBBP) scheme was launched in 2015, could not be achieved as on March 2016, as per the latest performance audit of CAG for year ending March, 2016.

BBBP, a centrally sponsored scheme, was rolled out on January 22, 2015 at Panipat. CAG test checked the records of the office of director, women and child development (WCD) department and three districts covering a period from January, 2015 till March, 2016.

Mahendragarh and Panipat were selected on the basis of lowest and highest child sex ratio and Sonepat on the basis of maximum expenditure incurred, the report said. As per the scheme, Rs 5 lakh were to be provided to each district through health department to strengthen the district pre-conception & pre-natal diagnostic technique cell, monitoring, research studies, information, education and communication activities. The audit observed that Rs 5 lakh were released by district programme officer, Panipat to the civil surgeon for the aforementioned objectives out of which Rs 3.01 lakh were spent on preparation of ‘theme gate’ on the occasion of launching the scheme.

“Thus the expenditure incurred on the theme gate was irregular and tantamount to diversion of funds. Further it was observed that an expenditure of Rs 21.24 lakh was incurred (January 2015) by WCD department from funds of the scheme for the purchase of 1,800 laptop bags and 2,900 mugs. There was no provision in the scheme for purchase of these items,” said the report.

It said the ratio in Panipat district was 892 against the target of 902 as of December, 2015 which further decreased to 881 in March, 2016.