Between election preparations, the CAG report, where 71 thousand crores spent in Bihar, the government has no data

In the report of the Controller and Auditor General (CAG), the Bihar government of serious financial negligence was accused. According to the report, the State Government did not submit the utility certificate (UC) of public funds worth Rs 70,877 crore on time, which raises the question of whether this amount was actually spent for the proposed objectives. The most important point of the CAG report- 49.649 Utility certificate Pending: Bihar’s Accountant General Office only received this certificate until 31 March 2024, without which transparency and accountability of expenses became suspicious. The threat of eclipse states that the amount is not used for the intended purpose. This increases the risk of corruption and financial mismanagement. The most carefree Department of Panchayati Raj Division (£ 28.154 crore), Education Department (£ 12,624 crore), Department of Urban Developments (£ 11,066 crore), Department of Rural Development (£ 7,800 crore) and the Department of Agriculture (£ 2.108 crore) are at the foyer of non-use payments. The annual tax (AC) accounts were also ignored before £ 9.205.76 crore, but the DC (detailed) accounts have not yet been deposited against it, which is a direct violation of the rules. The total budget of the state was £ 3.26 Lakh Crore in 2023-24, but only £ 2.60 Lakh Crore (79.92%) could be spent in 2023-24. Saving was not spent, from the total saving of £ 65,512 crore, only £ 23,875 crore (36.44%) was dedicated. Increased debt burden recorded an increase of 12.34% in the total state obligations. The total internal debt rose by £ 28.107 crore, which is 59.26% of the total obligations. The report did not reach the fiscal target that the Bihar government could not achieve the fiscal goals set by the Fifteenth Finance Commission in 2023-24. Political and administrative questions This report asked serious questions about the financial functioning of the Bihar government. Experts and opposition parties have demanded that pending utility certificates be investigated as soon as possible and that action should be taken against the guilty officers. It is also clear that Bihar’s economic status and public interest schemes, without better management and transparency of resources, may be at risk. This CAG report is not only a version of data, but is a serious warning to deepen financial indiscipline in Bihar’s management. If not improved over time, not only development schemes will be affected, but the public’s confidence will also be shaken.