Aizawl: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has urged Mizoram govt to probe suspected misappropriation of Rs 9.19 crore from the Green India Mission (GIM) fund by the Forest Development Agency (FDA) in Kolasib district and take appropriate action.The findings were contained in the CAG report tabled in the assembly by CM Lalduhoma on Thursday.According to the report, the GIM Implementation Guidelines, 2014, require the State Forest Development Agency (SFDA) to release funds to the concerned FDA in accordance with the approved annual plan of operation. The FDA is then required to transfer the funds to revamped joint forest management committees, mandated by the gram sabha, for implementing mission activities at the village level.The audit found that the SFDA transferred Rs 9.19 crore to the FDA, Kolasib, on March 30, 2023. Of this, Rs 9.07 crore was earmarked for 12 Village Forest Development Committees (VFDCs), while Rs 12 lakh was allocated for office expenses under the approved work programmes for 2021-22 and 2022-23.Instead of transferring the Rs 9.07 crore to the 12 VFDCs, the FDA allegedly withdrew the entire amount in cash on April 27, 2023, in violation of the GIM guidelines.“Further, there was no record showing the transfer/ payment of Rs. 9.07 crore to the 12 VFDCs or utilisation of the office expenses component of Rs. 0.12 crore. Further, the bank statements of the 12 VFDCs did not reflect credit of Rs. 9.07 crore in their bank accounts during 2022-23 and 2023-24. In the absence of evidence/ proof of transfer of funds to the VFDCs and also without any trail of the money withdrawn from the bank by FDA Kolasib, the amount is suspected to have been misappropriated,” the report said.The physical and financial progress report and utilisation certificates submitted by the FDA claimed that the entire amount had been used for GIM activities. In January 2025, the department said the funds had been released to the VFDCs and that documents supporting their utilisation had been furnished.The CAG, however, has rejected the explanation.“The reply of the department is not tenable as there was neither any evidence/record proving the disbursement of Rs. 9.07 crore by the FDA, Kolasib nor proof of receipt of Rs. 9.07 crore by the 12 VFDCs. Further, record showing expenditure of the office expenses component of Rs. 0.12 crore at the FDA, Kolasib was also not available. Also, no voucher in support of the expenditure for the whole amount of Rs. 9.19 crore has been produced to audit inspite of the written requests for their production. No contemporaneous records were furnished during audit,” the report said.
