Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government disbursed over Rs 780 crore to more than 12 lakh ineligible beneficiaries under its KALIA scheme, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The report was tabled in the State Assembly on Wednesday by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
The CAG audit analyzed the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme’s database against other systems like the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), VAHAN (vehicle registration), IFMS (Integrated Financial Management System), and HRMS (Human Resources Management System). It found that Rs 782.26 crore was transferred to 12.72 lakh beneficiaries who were not eligible for the scheme.
According to the report, KALIA assistance was extended to 65.64 lakh beneficiaries between 2019 and 2021. Of these, 41.64 lakh received three instalments, 8.09 lakh received two instalments, and 15.91 lakh got only one. The discrepancy arose when 9.76 lakh ineligible beneficiaries were identified.
The CAG also raised concerns regarding 20 mobile ATM vans procured by the Co-operation Department for the “Bank on Wheels” initiative, which was launched through the Odisha State Co-operative Bank (OSCB) in 2013-14. The OSCB spent Rs 8.69 crore on these vans and their maintenance between April 2016 and March 2020.
However, as of March 2021, none of the ATM vans were operational. The audit revealed that two vans never functioned, while 17 operated for only 18 to 60 days. The CAG pointed out these inefficiencies in its report.
