Imphal, July 2: The comptroller and auditor-general (CAG) has pointed a finger at the Manipur government, indicting the home department for misutilising funds provided by Delhi. The money, meant for modernisation of the state police force, was not utilised properly, depriving the state police of additional aid to the tune of Rs 7 crore. This occurred at a time when the state government was reeling under an acute financial crunch.
The CAG, in its latest report, said the home department spent Rs 1.68 crore out of the Rs 2 crore sanctioned by the Union home ministry under the police modernisation scheme for 1998-99 under heads not covered by the scheme.
The sum of Rs 2 crore was provided for purchasing arms, ammunition, vehicles and bulletproof jackets to add more teeth to the state police in their efforts to deal with insurgency.
The Union home ministry had promised to sanction an additional amount of Rs 7 crore the next year, provided the amount already sanctioned was properly utilised.
According to the CAG report, the state home department spent the sum of Rs 1.68 crore on telephone connections, printing of information booklets, physical security arrangements, clothing and wages of the home guards in connection with the fifth National Games hosted by the state in February 2000.
The then director-general of police requested the state government to provide the amount of Rs 2 crore that had been earmarked, saying if the amount was not spent on the specific purpose, no utilisation certificate could be submitted to the home ministry.