SRINAGAR: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has revealed irregularities in implementation of Swaach Bharat (Urban) Mission scheme in Jammu & Kashmir.
In its report tabled in the Parliament, a copy of which is in possession of news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the CAG said that only 10 percent Individual Household Latrines (IHHLs) constructed under the scheme were found functional.
The compliance audit of two components under Swachh Bharat Mission (U) viz. Individual Household Latrines (IHHLs) and Public toilets (PTs), was carried out covering the period from 2016-17 to 2020-21.
The auditor noticed that the ULBs had not carried out house-to-house survey to identify beneficiaries for providing IHHLs.
“Progress of work was not closely monitored and no monitoring reports were on record. Beneficiary survey and physical verification of selected 942 IHHLs shown constructed by NGOs revealed that only 95 (10 per cent) were functional,” the report states.
The auditor has also pointed out that doubtful payment of Rs 116.48 lakh was made to NGOs in respect of construction of IHHLs and there was unproductive expenditure of Rs 91.30 lakh in respect of 522 IHHLs.
“Out of 173 physically verified PTs, 108 PTs (63 per cent) were either incomplete, abandoned or non-functional,” the report states.
The Government of India (GoI) launched the flagship scheme of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) on October 02, 2014 with the objective of making urban India 100 percent free from open defecation in areas falling under the Urban Local Bodies in the country by October 2019.
SBM, Urban (U) is being implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India (MoH&UA) and Housing and Urban Development (H&UDD), Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
SBM (U) has various components and is funded by the Government of India (GoI) and the State Government on 90:10 basis.