M A I N   N E W S

UN vehicles being ‘misused’
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, April 23 — Vehicles supplied by UN agencies for the implementation of various programmes in rural areas are being misused by ministers, bureaucrats and other senior officers.

This is in gross violation of the orders of the Centre that the vehicles supplied by UNICEF and other agencies should be utilised for the implementation of the specific programmes and should not be diverted.

Vehicles provided by UNICEF for the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and various other programmes are being utilised by ministers and officers in the secretariat here.

Many other instances of the misuse have been pointed out in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG).

Vehicles under the UN schemes unauthorisedly attached with the Secretary, the Joint Secretary and the Undersecretary of the Health Department covered 1,16,803 km and Rs 8.17 lakh was spent on fuel and maintenance.

The vehicles were received under the UNFPA, blindness, family planning and the national malaria eradication programmes.

Although the ministers were supposed to use two vehicles provided by the General Administration Department (GAD) in the secretariat, three vehicles, one from the GAD and two from the Health Department, were provided to the Health Minister between May, 1997, and December, 1998. A sum of Rs 2.12 lakh was spent on the vehicle provided to him in violation of the norms.

Eleven vehicles provided by UNICEF for the ICDS which were utilised for election duty covered 26,860 km.

The vehicles were actually to be used for the child development projects and one was to be provided to the ICDS cell at the state level having less than 75 projects.

However, 26 vehicles received under the project were initially retained at the secretariat and the directorate for two to 35 months. Subsequently, 20 vehicles were sent to the field units and six were retained at the headquarters where only one vehicle was supposed to be kept.

A sum of Rs 3.99 lakh was spent out of the ICDS funds on the maintenance of vehicles retained at the secretariat and the Directorate of Social Welfare.

The report pointed out instances of misuse of the fleet of 402 vehicles, including 235 ambulances in the Health Department.

The Director, Health Services, purchased an air-conditioned car for Rs 3.45 lakh in January, 1998, in violation of the instructions of the government.

The Joint Director, Kangra, and the chief medical officers of Hamirpur, Kangra, Sirmaur and Solan unauthorisedly travelled in official vehicles outside their jurisdiction for a distance of 96,525 km without prior permission of the Chief Secretary. Of this, 12 vehicles made 117 trips to Shimla, covering 46,500 km.

The CAG pointed out that Rs 7.51 lakh was recoverable from officers who drove 34 vehicles for 5 lakh km without recording the purpose in the log books.

As many as 87,190 km covered by 11 vehicles in Kinnaur and Solan districts were not recorded by the controlling or any other officer.

Nine ambulances purchased at a cost of Rs 31.50 lakh were not being used for want of drivers.

Instances of vehicles of the Health Department being driven by private and unauthorised persons also came to light. Three controlling officers allowed private persons and cleaners to drive government vehicles which met with accidents resulting in a loss of Rs 5.18 lakh due to damages and compensation awarded by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal.