Patna, Mar 25 (UNI) Bihar was deprived of Rs 476.90 crore World Bank assistance under Neer Nirmal Pariyojna (NNP) due to delay in implementation of the scheme and less expenditure till March 2020, according to a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary tabled the CAG report (Performance and Compliance Audit- Civil) of the Bihar government for the year ended 31 March 2022 in the state assembly on Tuesday.

The report said that as Project implementation Plan (PIP), the schemes were to be completed in three batches up to March 2017, March 2019 and March 2020, respectively. However, none of the batches completed all its phases till December 2022.

As per the PIP, the World Bank was to contribute around Rs 803.00 crore (50 per cent of the project cost) to the project. Due to delays in implementation and less expenditure till March 2020, Bihar received only Rs 326.10 crore and was deprived of World Bank assistance, amounting to Rs 476.90 crore, the CAG report revealed.

The report further disclosed about diversion of NNP funds of Rs 64.21 crore towards payment of Operations and Maintenance (O&M) and non-eligible schemes.

The CAG report said that in Ghogha Ghat (West Champaran) and Silao (Nalanda) multi-village schemes (MVSs) expenditure of Rs 19.44 crore incurred on laying of 34.62 km length of rising main pipes, was avoidable as water supply was provided to households by utilising ground water instead of by using surface water sources. In Rajauli (Nawada), Ghogha Ghat (West Champaran) and Silao (Nalanda) MVSs 24,123 multi-jet water meters installed, at a cost of Rs 4.11 crore for collecting the user fee became idle as the Department had decided (June 2021) to charge user fee at a fixed rate of Rs 30 per month, for each connection.

According to the report excess expenditure of Rs 3.57 crore was incurred in five divisions on installation of Elevated Service Reservoir (ESR) with higher capacity than required.

UNI RS BD