RAIPUR: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has identified critical deficiencies in the execution of key welfare and infrastructure initiatives in Chhattisgarh. This includes urban housing, labor welfare, and renewable energy projects, as detailed in the Performance and Compliance Audit (Civil) Report for the period ending March 2023.
The report, presented in the state assembly by Finance Minister O P Choudhary on Wednesday, consists of three chapters focused on audit planning, expenditure analysis, the performance audit of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U), and a compliance audit of welfare schemes managed by the Labor Department. It also addresses observations regarding the installation of solar pumps by the Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA).
The PMAY-U is a major initiative by the Union government, overseen by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), launched in June 2015 to meet housing needs for slum dwellers and economically weaker sections in urban areas.
According to the report, the scheme includes four components: (a) Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP), (b) Beneficiary-Led Individual House Construction (BLC), (c) In Situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR), and (d) Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS).
The performance audit indicated various irregularities in the selection of beneficiaries and fund management. In four urban local bodies (municipalities in Bilaspur, Raipur, Korba, and Premnagar), 71 beneficiaries with incomes exceeding ₹3 lakh were allocated houses/Dwelling Units (DUs) under BLC/AHP. Additionally, ₹4.05 crore was granted to 250 beneficiaries under BLC without confirming land ownership.
The report highlighted issues with the non-linkage of PMAY-U and PMAY-Gramin Management Information System (MIS), revealing that 99 beneficiaries received benefits from both schemes. Furthermore, 35 beneficiaries had already received advantages under the Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme and benefited again under the BLC component.
Delays in completing DUs by urban local bodies under AHP projects resulted in the blocking of ₹230.05 crore in scheme funds. Of the 2.77 lakh houses sanctioned under BLC, 66,383 were surrendered or curtailed, with only 1.84 lakh houses completed by April 2025 out of the remaining 2.11 lakh.
The audit also revealed that the goal of women empowerment was not fully realized, as only around half of houses sanctioned from 2016-17 to 2023-24 were in the names of female beneficiaries. Monitoring mechanisms exhibited lapses, including irregular geo-tagging and delays in social audits.
The compliance audit of welfare initiatives by the Labor Department disclosed underutilization of funds and insufficient coverage of both organized and unorganized labor. Out of ₹329.41 crore allocated to the Chhattisgarh Asangathit Karmkaar Rajya Samajik Suraksha Mandal (CGAKM) for unorganized sector workers, only ₹210.75 crore (64 percent) was spent. Similarly, the Chhattisgarh Shram Kalyan Mandal (CGSKM) spent only ₹21.27 crore of the available ₹44.86 crore for organized sector workers.
Despite many workers registering on the Centre’s e-Shram portal, a significantly smaller number were recorded in the state labor portal. In the unorganized sector, 76.33 lakh workers registered on the e-Shram portal, but only 16.62 lakh (22 percent) were noted in the Chhattisgarh labor portal. In the organized sector, only 2.05 lakh (26 percent) workers were registered against a target of 8 lakh during the audit period.
Inconsistencies were identified in expenditures across various schemes, such as marriage assistance and the distribution of cycles, sewing machines, tools, and equipment. In fact, no expenditure was reported in 10 out of 50 schemes for both sectors from 2018-19 to 2022-23.
Irregularities occurred in the procurement and distribution of cycles, along with delays in the release of financial assistance across various programs.
The audit of solar pump installations under the Saur Sujala Yojana, managed by CREDA, revealed unnecessary overspending due to the installation of expensive pumps that did not comply with scheme guidelines. Additionally, mandatory yield tests for solar pumps were neglected, and labor cess was not deducted from contractors’ bills, leading to financial irregularities and avoidable costs for the state.
According to the Office of the Accountant General (Audit), Chhattisgarh, these findings emphasize the urgent need for improved monitoring, inter-departmental coordination, effective beneficiary identification, and strict adherence to guidelines for optimal public fund utilization and achieving welfare objectives.
