The decision on recovering funds from ineligible KALIA beneficiaries will be made soon, according to Odisha's Deputy CM.
The state government will review the audit findings and assess potential options for recovering any discrepancies.
Arpit Pattnaik
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found serious irregularities in the selection of beneficiaries under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme, resulting in a payment of Rs 782.26 crore to ineligible people. The state government has stated that appropriate action will be taken after a thorough examination of the audit report.
Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo, who is responsible for the Agriculture portfolio, responded to media inquiries regarding the government's response to the CAG report. He mentioned that the government will carefully review the report before making any decisions.
Singh Deo also expressed a need for detailed discussions on the potential recovery of the disbursed amount to ineligible beneficiaries, citing the CAG report's indication that recovery of the funds may be challenging.
Regarding the lack of cooperation from the previous government in sharing beneficiary data, Singh Deo stated that decisions on the recommendations made by the CAG will only be taken after a thorough review of the report and all related aspects.
The audit discovered 14.08 lakh (27.58 per cent) ineligible beneficiaries out of 51.05 lakh selected individuals who received Rs 611.91 crore during the first installment. Additionally, it found 2.35 lakh more ineligible beneficiaries who had received assistance. The report highlighted that providing complete beneficiary databases could have led to the identification of more ineligible individuals.
The CAG report has recommended that the state government take necessary steps for the prompt recovery of funds from ineligible beneficiaries under the KALIA scheme.
