Expenditure of Rs13,230.39 crore yet to be settled in Bihar

Even as the Patna high court stayed the operation of its order favouring a CBI probe into alleged non-reconciliation of advances, the CAG has highlighted that in all, adjustment of advances of Rs 13230.39 crore drawn on Abstract Contingent (AC) bills is pending settlement between 2002-3 and 2008-09.

The CAG in its report for the year ended March 31, 2009 points out that the Bihar Treasury Code provides that advances drawn on AC bills should be settled by submitting Detailed Contingent (DC) Bills to the Accountant General not later than 25th of the sixth month from the date of drawal of advance from the treasury.

Scrutiny of records revealed that out of Rs 11,924.44 crore drawn on 50,384 AC bills, only 5394 DC bills for Rs 964.85 crore were submitted to the Accountant General, Bihar and no DC bills for 44990 AC bills of Rs 10959.59 crore drawn during the year from 2002-03 to 2007-08 were submitted despite repeated audit objections.

Further, 8039 AC bills for Rs 2384.04 crore were drawn during 2008-09, of which 412 DC bills for Rs 77.27 crore had been submitted.

"Thus in all, adjustment of advances of Rs 13,230.39 crore drawn through 52617 AC bills was pending," the CAG report says.

The Patna high court yesterday stayed its previous order on whether or not the allegations levelled in a PIL in connection with the CAG report were a fit case to be investigated by the CBI.

The CAG in its report had highlighted non-reconciliation of advances drawn on AC bills from treasuries worth Rs 11,412 crore between 2002-03 and 2007-08.