₹56.65 crore for backward class hostels unutilized, CAG finds

Who it concerns: Government of Maharashtra, specifically the Tribal Welfare Department and the Social Justice and Special Assistance Department.

What the auditor found

• Tribal Welfare Department: 16 schools were granted grade upgrades without proper guidelines, resulting in a liability of ₹9.53 crore.
• Tribal Welfare Department: Delays in school selection and admission processes caused educational gaps for eligible tribal students.
• Social Justice Department: ₹56.65 crore of the ₹487.15 crore allocated for government hostels in 2023-24 remained unspent.
• Social Justice Department: Due to lack of coordination between schemes, 1,302 students were underpaid housing allowance by ₹57.82 lakh.
• Social Justice Department: A hostel in Thane district with a sanctioned cost of ₹4.55 crore remained unusable due to inter-departmental coordination failures.
• Recommendations: CAG advised the government to set realistic admission targets, ensure timely school selection, and improve coordination between departments to utilize funds effectively.

Also in the document

• CAG found that ₹56.65 crore allocated for hostels for backward class students was not utilized in 2023-24.
• CAG reported that 8,930 students in 117 talukas were deprived of residential educational assistance due to the absence of hostels.
• CAG noted that 16 schools received grade upgrades leading to a financial liability of ₹9.53 crore for the Tribal Welfare Department.