Audit Reveals ₹49 Crore Discrepancy, ₹110 Crore Pending in Himachal Board

A recent audit of the Himachal Pradesh State Agricultural Marketing Board has uncovered significant financial irregularities, including a discrepancy of nearly ₹49.25 crore and over ₹110 crore in unsettled advances. The findings, detailed in the 2023–24 audit report, have sparked intense political backlash, particularly from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is calling for an extensive investigation.

According to the State Audit Department, a total of ₹110,63,62,295 disbursed as advances to the Executive Engineer, employees, and various organizations for construction and related projects remains unadjusted. Notably, the Executive Engineer is responsible for a staggering ₹95.52 crore of this amount. Many of these advances date back several years, and the Board has failed to secure Utilisation Certificates or reconcile its accounts accordingly.

Concerns Over Financial Management

The audit also points to a significant discrepancy of ₹49.25 crore in deposit works conducted for various market committees. The Board collected advances from these committees for construction projects but reportedly did not issue the required Utilisation Certificates. This raises questions about the transparency and accountability of the Board’s financial practices.

Auditors noted that the Board inaccurately classified the committees’ assets as its own under “work-in-progress” on the balance sheet, artificially enhancing its financial standing. Additional issues arose concerning inconsistencies between employees’ Contributory Provident Fund (CPF) accounts and the corresponding bank balances.

Furthermore, the audit highlighted that grants totaling ₹74.45 crore, received from both the Central and Himachal Pradesh governments, were misrepresented as balances in the financial statements, despite being utilized for Mandi Committees’ operations.

The BJP’s response to these findings has been swift and critical. Rakesh Jamwal, BJP Chief Spokesperson and Member of the Legislative Assembly, described the audit observations as indicative of “serious governance failures” under the current Congress government. He emphasized that the unresolved advances and accounting discrepancies represent not minor errors, but major issues involving substantial public funds allocated for farmers and mandi infrastructure.

Jamwal has called for an independent investigation by a competent agency and urged for immediate criminal proceedings against individuals found responsible for these discrepancies. He is also seeking a public clarification from the Chief Minister regarding the status of the unadjusted ₹110 crore and a detailed explanation for the ₹49 crore discrepancy in deposit works.

These revelations have placed the Himachal Pradesh State Agricultural Marketing Board under scrutiny, particularly given its crucial role in managing funds and infrastructure for mandis across the region. As the situation develops, the public and political stakeholders alike are awaiting further actions and clarifications from government officials.