The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has ticked off the Nitish Kumar-Government for lacking objective planning or utilisation of funds drawn on Abstract Contingency (AC) bills.

The Bihar Government had withdrawn Rs 16,033.01 crore on AC bills between 2009-12, of which the plan head drawals accounted for Rs 12,332.64 crore which indicated that object level planning was absent as items of expenditure were known while drawing the amount, CAG said in its report on State finances for the fiscal 2011-12.

The money was simply drawn through the AC bill mode under plan heads for future use awaiting finalisation of implementation modalities to avoid lapse of appropriations, it said.

The national auditor also expressed concern over Detailed Contingency (DC) bills to the tune of Rs 18,797.90 crore remaining pending or submission to the Accountant General (Accounts and Expenditure) till August 31, 2012, against 92,168 AC bill drawals amounting to Rs 30,305.47 crore. CAG further noted that no expenditure was incurred against AC drawals of Rs 171.64 crore meant for upgradation of primary health centres (PHCs) and sub-divisional hospitals during 2009-11 and was provided to Bihar Medical Services and Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (BMSIC) and the entire amount remained unutilised till August 2012.

Pointing to other irregularities in drawal of funds under AC bills, it observed that considerable portion of funds drawn through this route was lying either with the drawing and disbursement officers (DDO) or with the executive agencies even after the lapse of the financial year during which the money was drawn and had been parked in various personal deposit accounts and bank accounts.

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