Over Rs 108 cr diverted from CM's Nagarothana scheme: CAG report
Belagavi (PTI): In contravention of guidelines, the city corporations of Ballari, Tumakuru and Vijayapura have "diverted" Rs 108.75 crore of funds, meant for the 'Chief Minister's Nagarothana scheme', towards other projects, the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) has said.
The CAG's performance audit on the 'Mukhyamantrigala Nagarothana scheme (phase-3) for city corporations' was tabled in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Friday.
The Nagarothana scheme (phase-3) at an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore was launched to upgrade infrastructure in 10 city corporations, with each one getting Rs 100 crore.
The performance audit covered the period 2014-15 to 2020-21 in Ballari, Mysuru, Tumakuru and Vijayapura.
According to the CAG findings, "In contravention of the scheme guidelines, the test checked city corporations diverted Rs 108.75 crore (40 per cent of the total expenditure of Rs 269.28 crore) towards work taken up under other schemes."
It was towards "paying their contribution amounts for other schemes- AMRUT, Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojana and 24x7 water supply- or on works being executed under other grants," it said.
This deprived the city corporations of the full benefit which was to be accrued from the scheme, the CAG said, as it rejected the government's claim that this was not diversion but utilisation of funds towards other schemes.
"Scheme guidelines specifically prohibited funding of works taken up under other schemes. Reply was also silent regarding utilisation of scheme funds for ineligible components such as payment of land compensation, construction of building etc," it added.
Further pointing out that appointment of three project management consultants (PMC) for Belagavi, Davangere, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Tumakuru and Vijayapura were "incorrect", the CAG said, "undue favour led to works worth Rs 14.63 crore being awarded to these ineligible consultants."
"They did not meet the selection criteria and were liable to be rejected," it said.
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Man identified as Pravin Mishra arrested in Gujarat for spying for Pakistan
Bharuch, May 9: A man has been arrested in Bharuch district of Gujarat for allegedly spying for a Pakistani intelligence agency, police said on Thursday.
Pravin Mishra, the accused, had allegedly collected highly confidential information about the Indian Armed Forces and defence-related R&D firms, said the Gujarat Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The CID started its probe following a tip-off from the Military Intelligence, Udhampur.
A resident of Ankleshwar in Bharuch district and native of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, Mishra was in contact with a Pakistani intelligence operative through Whatsapp calls and audio chat "to carry out a criminal conspiracy against the country that could have serious security consequences," the CID said in a release.
"It was found that the information was being sent to an intelligence agency located in Pakistan," the CID said.
A case was registered against Mishra and the Pakistani operative who used an Indian WhatsApp number and the fake Facebook ID of `Sonal Garg', it said.
"The case has also been registered against the officers/employees involved in the criminal conspiracy who were in touch with the operative on the WhatsApp number," the release added.
The Military Intelligence had alerted the CID about the present or retired employees of the Armed Forces, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and employees associated with the R&D of missile system development being used to get confidential information, the CID said.
Further probe was underway, it added.
