SCAMS GALORE

Punjab State Bus Stand Management Company Limited allowed concessionaires longer concession period, which enabled them to earn higher than reasonable return of 16%, determined by PIDB. A concessionaire was given undue benefit of 30 crore, by not reducing the concession period. Filling of 35 kg of paddy in a 50 kg bag against the central norm of 37.5 kg paddy per 50 kg bag resulted in excess consumption of gunny bags and extra cost of 125 crore. Payment of 65 crore was made to the concessionaire for affixing high-security registration plates (HSRPs) without deducting TDS. Penalty of 3 crore was not levied on boot operator for delayed printing of registration certificates/ driving licences. Punjab State Transport Society collected medical charges from users without providing services of issuing medical certificate. Separate licences were issued for each category to hotels/restaurants/bar owners but the state excise department charged fee for only one licence against the chargeable fee for all categories of licences, resulting in short realisation of licence fee of 3 crore in 238 cases. Against the weighted average period of two months allowed by the Centre for milling of paddy, the government without compensating the company allowed excess milling period resulting in loss of interest of

190 crore during crop years 2010-14. Another amount of 143 crore was recoverable from the millers on account of shortdelivered, misappropriated rice, cost of gunny bags and other recoveries. Expenditure amounting to

21 crore on transportation of paddy to rice mills within 8 km was not recovered from the millers though these were inbuilt in the milling charges.