L-G Saxena takes serious note of delay in audit of accounts in universities under govt by CAG
New Delhi: Delhi L-G VK Saxena flagged violations of accounting procedures, financial mismanagement and inordinate delay in auditing in the public education sector in Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's Department of Higher and Technical Education, Government of Delhi on Tuesday.
The L-G expressed serious concern over undue delay in conduct of audit of the Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research University for five years between 2015-16 to 2020-21 by the CAG. He has directed the Vice Chancellor of (DPSRU) to submit an explanation for the delay along with details of officers responsible for this lapse, within 15 days in his capacity as the Chancellor, as per sources from the L-G House.
The audit of DPSRU's accounts was delayed, despite a proposal for it by the CAG in 2015-16 which was cleared by the former L-G in 2019 because the university moved the proposal under the provisions of Section 27 of the University Act and Section 20 of the CAG (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service), Act 1971, instead of the relevant and applicable Section 19(3)of the CAG Act. The CAG had also asked that the entrustment of audit of accounts of 4 other universities viz. Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi, Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women, Delhi Technological University and Netaji Subhash University of Technology be also conveyed under Section 19(3).
As per the L-G's house the Delhi Government took more than an year to comply with CAG's advice and finally a proposal to this effect under the above mentioned Section 19(3) was made in August 2022. A file regarding the same was received by the L-G's secretariat without CM Kejriwal's signatures with an observation on the file by the Joint Secretary to CM to the effect that "Hon'ble CM has seen and approved". The L-G office said "Obviously the CM didn't want to take the responsibility for the lapses in accounting and violation of rules of CAG."
Saxena has expressed concern over unjustifiable and undue delays of more than 5 years in audit of accounts of universities under Delhi government by the CAG. L-G has directed the Training & Technical Education/Higher Education Department to take immediate action to ensure the audit of accounts of all state universities in accordance with the statutes in place to the CAG.
The L-G office also noted that there have been serious lapses on part of the state universities in Delhi, and that they will be taking action on the matter shortly.
