CAG audit reveals forging of accounts, false LTC claims in some government bodies

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), in two of its reports tabled in Parliament earlier this week, said its audit revealed low-level corruption in the Government of India presses and the Central Silk Board.

In its audit report on economic and service ministries, the CAG said the employees of the Government of India’s printing press on Minto Road in New Delhi claimed higher leave travel concession (LTC) than they actually paid by misrepresenting facts and forging documents.

“This led to reimbursement of non-entitled amount of Rs 56.98 lakh to 87 employees test checked in the audit,” the audit report said.

After the audit was shared with the government before being tabled in Parliament, an amount of Rs 55.59 lakh (including penal interest of Rs 13.19 lakh) was recovered from 64 employees out of 87 cases, the report said.

“Further, a recovery of Rs 1.01 crore was made from 143 other employees working in five Government of India presses after re-verifying LTC claims at the instance of audit,” it said.

In another report on economic and service ministries, the CAG said verification of book entries of the Central Silk Board revealed tampering with figures of cash book and day book, and fictitious entries with instructions to bank for payments, by an official who was responsible for maintaining the cash book.

“Between May 2018 and April 2019, an amount of Rs 85.13 lakh was transferred from the bank account of the regional office, Guwahati, to bank accounts of individuals having no official transactions. An amount of Rs 9.61 lakh was recovered leaving a balance of Rs 75.52 lakh which is still to be recovered."