AIZAWL, Nov 24: The
Comptroller and Auditor
General of India (CAG) has
detected “wasteful expenditure” to the tune of Rs 2.41
crore by the Mizoram government for the integrated
development of eco-tourism
circuit project at Thenzawl in
Serchhip district.
The CAG report said the
State Tourism Department
had awarded a contract to a
Delhi-based consultancy firm
before getting approval from
the Centre and extended “undue benefits” to the company.
Union Ministry of Tourism
had accorded approval to the
project worth Rs 48.30 crore
in November 2014, according to the report.
The State government
awarded the work relating to
preparation of the detailed
project report (DPR), architectural designs and drawings and monitoring of the
project implementation to
the consultancy firm in September 2013, more than a
year before the Centre’s nod
to the programme, the CAG
report said.
“An amount of Rs 2.41
crore, being first instalment
of the cost of the project, was
released for preparatory
works,” the report said, adding that the work was to be
commissioned by November, 2016.
The State government, in
March 2015, had appointed
Mizoram Tourism Development Authority (MTDA) as
the implementing agency for
the project and transferred
the entire amount of Rs 2.41
crore to it.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed
between the Mizoram government and the consultancy
firm in April, 2015, had stipulated that Rs 96.59 lakh (40 per
cent of the payment) would be
paid to the consultant as retainer on signing of the agreement, the report said.
An amount of Rs 72.45 lakh
(30 per cent) would be paid on
submission of detailed specifications and an equal amount as
last instalment during the
course of construction.
“The MTDA, however,
disbursed the entire amount
of Rs 2.41 crore to the consultant on April 24, 2015, April
28, 2015 and December 2,
2015,” the CAG report said.
While the retainer fee was
paid on signing of the MoU,
the next payment was made
within four days, which suggested that the preparation
of detailed specifications
were completed within four
days, the CAG report said.
Further, the project monitoring service fee of Rs 72.45
lakh was released to the firm
even without commencing
the project, indicating that
“the State government gave
undue benefits to the firm”,
it added. – PT
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