Irregularities in SSA Funds

(New Delhi) Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the government’s flagship programme working towards universalisation of elementary education, is mired in trouble with the CAG reporting financial irregularities, under-utilisation of funds, underachievement of targets and funds being released to non-existent schools. A CAG report found that crucial ingredients of SSA - textbooks, classrooms, teachers and learning equipment - were missing or seriously lacking. ‘‘There was substantial under-funding as the funds made available were short of requirement approved by the Project Approval Board. Underprovisioning ranged from 43% to 57% during 2001-02 to 2004-05,’’ the CAG report said. It added that four years after implementation of SSA and utilisation of almost 86% of funds available with the implementing agencies, targets have not been met. First the financial irregularity. CAG found that funds were diverted to activities/- schemes beyond the scope of SSA. In the districts test checked by audit in 11 states - Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal - Rs 99.88 crore was spent on items not permitted under SSA. Besides, in 14 states and UTs, financial irregularities of Rs 472.51 crore were noticed. In Bihar, Rs 15.80 crore was diverted to meet the expenditure on salary of teachers, mid-day meal scheme and purchase of utensils while in Himachal Pradesh, Rs 24 lakh was spent on LPG connections for running mid-day meal scheme kitchens. In Gujarat, while Rs 22.88 crore was diverted to non-SSA programmes, Rs 4 lakh was spent on bhoomipujan of Gujarat Council of Education Research and Training Centre. UP spent Rs 52 lakh towards purchase of utensils for 2,576 primary schools. Other irregularities include actions showing something as expenditure though the amount was advanced to other agencies.