250 CABs submitted accounts late, 11 missed 1–9 years of filings

It covers bodies engaged in policy formulation, research, and public utility services funded by government grants.

Who it concerns: Central Autonomous Bodies (CABs) under the Union Government, specifically those under the Ministries of Culture, Education, External Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, Labour and Employment, and Youth Affairs and Sports.

What the auditor found

• ₹ 13,464.22 crore in government grants remained unutilised as of March 31, 2023.
• 44 CABs revised their accounts due to audit findings, with impacts including an increase in assets/liabilities of ₹ 865.92 crore and a net increase in deficit of ₹ 825.04 crore in 22 bodies.
• Physical verification of fixed assets was not conducted in 132 CABs, and inventory verification was missing in 111 CABs.
• 27 CABs neither returned nor accounted for ₹ 121.82 crore in interest earned on government grants.
• 164 CABs failed to account for gratuity and retirement benefits based on actuarial valuation.
• Board of Apprenticeship Training, Mumbai irregularly used ₹ 17.34 crore in SC/ST grants for General category apprentices.
• Central University of Tamil Nadu incurred a loss of ₹ 2.60 crore due to procurement irregularities totaling ₹ 8.16 crore.
• Gandhigram Rural Institute incurred unauthorised expenditure of ₹ 3.20 crore for a New Delhi centre without ministry approval.
• Nalanda University provided undue financial benefits of ₹ 3.01 crore to contractors via price escalation adjustments.
• Sports Authority of India overstated prior period income by ₹ 731.77 crore and had ₹ 2,279.68 crore in long-pending unsettled advances.
• Adverse comments were issued on the accounts of five CABs, and a disclaimer of opinion was given for one CAB.

Also in the document

• CAG reported that 250 CABs submitted their annual accounts after the due date of June 30, 2023, and 11 CABs had not submitted accounts for periods ranging from one to nine years as of March 31, 2024.
• CAG noted significant misstatements in financial statements, including Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisations not provisioning for a net pension liability of ₹ 54,317 crore and Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority not provisioning for ₹ 47,225.57 crore in unclaimed shares.
• CAG found that Sahitya Akademi blocked ₹ 12.52 crore in construction funds for 24 years due to the allotment of non-existing or encumbered plots, forcing the body to continue operating from a rented building.