Department of Labour Loss of Rs. 1.15 crores due to the projection of excess requirement.
Loss due to projection of excess requirement. The Board projected a requirement of 20 mobile van dispensaries against 10 approved and thereafter released Rs. 4.24 crore without ensuring their availability. This resulted in a loss of interest of Rs. 1.15 crore that the Board could have earned by investing the unspent amount of Rs. 2.07 crore.
It was decided in May 2009 that the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) would assist the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board (the Board) by extending mobile dispensary services at 30 major construction sites in Delhi. In the meeting, it was informed that the DHS had asked for an amount of Rs. 2.12 crore for providing 10 mobile van dispensaries. However, the Board, in its meeting held on 28 May 2009, decided to pursue with DHS for at least 20 mobile van dispensaries for on-the-spot medical care to construction workers at sites at a total cost of Rs. 4.24 crore. The Board did not obtain any assurance from DHS for providing 20 mobile van dispensaries instead of 10 but released Rs. 4.24 crore (June 2009) in advance to DHS for 20 mobile van dispensaries.
Audit scrutiny revealed that DHS deployed five mobile van dispensaries with effect from 15 June 2009 and five more from 10 July 2009 at various construction sites. On 2 March 2015, DHS informed the Board that even these 10 mobile van dispensaries had been discontinued effect from 31 May 2014. An amount of Rs. 2.07 crore out of Rs. 4.24 crore was lying with it unspent which was not returned to the Board as of August 2016.
Thus, projecting the requirement of increased mobile van dispensaries at 20 instead of 10 contrary to the decision of the Government and payment of advance without ensuring that 20 mobile van dispensaries could be deployed resulted in the loss of interest of Rs. 1.15 crore up to August 2016, which the Board could have earned by investing the unspent amount of Rs. 2.07 crore.
The matter was referred to the Government on 05 December 2016, their reply was awaited.
