5,727.243 hectares of non-forest land not legally notified for compensation afforestation

This audit examined the compliance and IT systems of various Maharashtra State Government departments and autonomous bodies for the period ended March 2024, focusing on financial management, compensation afforestation, and water supply projects.

Who it concerns: Maharashtra State Government departments (including Water Supply & Sanitation, Public Works, General Administration) and autonomous bodies (Maharashtra Compensation Afforestation Management and Planning Authority - Maha-CAMPA, Integrated Financial Management System - IFMS).

What the auditor found

• Maha-CAMPA achieved only 47.37% of planned compensation afforestation projects, with only 42.48% of approved funds spent due to delays in Annual Action Plans (AAP).
• ₹94.69 crore of the CAMPA fund was irregularly diverted to ineligible projects, and ₹40.37 crore of work was executed without proper authorization.
• ₹40.80 crore in interest was payable to the National Authority due to irregular transfers and delayed remittances by user agencies.
• ₹94.39 crore was wasted in the Water Supply & Sanitation Department due to an incorrect project report for the Atapadi taluka water supply scheme, leaving the project incomplete.
• ₹97.28 lakh was wasted in the Beed water supply scheme due to power supply issues rendering purchased pumping equipment idle.
• ₹21.73 crore in fees collected from local bodies and other departments for architectural plans was irregularly distributed among Public Works Department staff.
• ₹1.34 crore in irregular bonuses were paid to contractors for early completion of concession contracts.
• ₹2.07 crore in avoidable expenditure occurred for H-145 helicopter maintenance due to delays in appointing the agency.
• IT audit of IFMS found critical security weaknesses, including lack of two-factor authentication, weak password policies, and absence of data integrity checks.
• CAG recommended strengthening internal controls, ensuring timely submission of AAPs, verifying land records for afforestation, and implementing robust IT security measures.

Also in the document

• CAG found that 5,727.243 hectares of non-forest land reserved for compensation afforestation was not legally notified, leaving it outside the protection of the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
• CAG reported that 2,592.73 hectares of land were not afforested because the selected sites were incorrectly chosen or already allocated to other afforestation schemes.
• CAG noted that the regulatory board and executive committees of Maha-CAMPA did not hold regular meetings, leading to inadequate oversight of the organization's activities.