CAG of India2023-10-262023-10-2631-03-2015https://resourcerepository.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/handle/apurr/279The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme, launched in 1975 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, aims at holistic development of children up to six years of age, adolescent girls and pregnant and lactating mothers by providing a package of services. Apart from this, Government of India (GoI) introduced two more schemes viz., “Kishori Shakti Yojana (KSY)” and “Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls (NPAG)” in the years 2000 and 2002 respectively for implementation using ICDS infrastructure. Both the schemes were subsequently merged (2011) as “Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls SABLA” for improvement of nutritional and health status of adolescent girls in the age group of 11-18 years including up-gradation of their home based vocational skills and self development. The performance audit of these schemes in Assam was conducted covering period 2009-14. The audit revealed the following significant audit findings: 1. ICDS had not been universalised in the State as a number of the AWCs had not been made functional. Many SC/ST, OBC, Minority and Tea Garden areas were yet to be covered under the scheme. 2. Against GoI release of Rs 271.22 crore during 2011-14 for the construction of 15,000 AWCs, the department could complete the construction of 1,770 AWCs only (with an expenditure of Rs 29.21 crore). 3. The facilities provided at the AWCs were highly inadequate. None of the sampled AWCs had kitchens. Very few of them had functional toilets and access to drinking water. 4. There were short releases of State’s matching share of Rs 33.62 crore (2009-14) under ICDS (General) and Rs 15.36 crore (2010-14) under SABLA. 5. Cases of avoidable expenditure (of `8.43 crore) and excess expenditure (of Rs 3.48 crore) on procurement of ICDS materials and PSE kits respectively were noticed. Besides cases of excess payments of Rs 87.70 lakh and Rs 1.31 crore on procurement of ICDS materials and SNP foodstuff respectively were also noticed. 6. During 2010-11, 1.34 lakh beneficiaries under the hill districts of Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong were deprived of the intended benefit of supplementary Nutrition (SN) as the funds amounting to Rs 3.72 crore drawn by the directorate were not released. 7. SNP funds amounting to Rs 13.48 crore utilised in emergency for relief purposes remained unrecouped from Revenue Department depriving the benefits under SNP to the intended beneficiaries.EnglishAudit Report