This Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India contains results of the Performance Audit on Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) covering the period September 2018
The Comptroller and Auditor General has slammed the railways for the long delay and cost escalation in the strategically important Kashmir rail link. The original cost of the 29km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla
Lack of due diligence and proper planning by the Railways has caused a massive cost escalation in the rail-link project to Kashmir, with the cost overrun at an estimated Rs 16,488 crore, the Comptroller
Loss due to non-revision of domestic prices by the company in line with movement of market price Iron ore miner NMDC has suffered Rs 745.94 crore revenue loss during 2007-10 for not revising the domestic prices of the steel-making raw material in line with prevailing market rates, government auditor CAG said. "...Due to non-revision of domestic prices by the company (NMDC) in line with movement of market price, the company has suffered a revenue loss of Rs 754.94 crore during 2007-10," CAG said in a report, tabled in Rajya Sabha, today.
The irony was not lost on anyone when Meerut, part of the ancient Harappan settlement renowned for its sophisticated drainage systems, was promised a decent sewerage system under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM) as late as 2005. The city seemed poised for a facelift after centuries of decrepit waste disposal infrastructure but, alas, that was not to be. Seven years hence, even this modest project seems to have ground to a halt. With heaps of garbage lining its choked and dug-up roads, the project — expected to be commissioned by March 2012 —looks far from complete, adding to the city’s miseries.
The C Rangarajan panel, which is likely to give its report on the licensing of oil and gas fields in a week, is expected to favour production-linked payment for profit-sharing between the government and oil explorers, replacing the existing system of linking it to investments. Currently, producers can decide whether and how to recover their investments before starting to share profits with the state. “The new contractual provision is being proposed to overcome the difficulties in managing the existing model based on the pre- tax investment multiple methodology and cost recovery mechanism,” the report has said.
The new Bill on Land Acquisition approved by the Union Cabinet will be a huge setback for industrial growth in Odisha at a time when big ticket investors like Posco and ArcelorMittal are already struggling to procure land for their projects, industry experts said. According to the new Bill ratified by the Cabinet, industrial projects would need consent of at least 80 per cent of the land losers. "The new Bill will be a huge setback for industrial growth in Odisha. There is already a big noise on land acquisition for projects proposed by Posco and ArcelorMittal. Should the Bill be passed, land acquisition will become all the more difficult for such projects and the projects will be pushed into further delay”, said Ramesh Mahapatra, president, Utkal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (UCCI).
The Prime Minister-appointed Rangarajan Committee may this week suggest sweeping changes in future oil and gas contracts by asking explorers to bid for a percentage of output they would share with the government. Sources said the panel may ask the government to move to a production-linked payment regime where explorers will be required to bid for the government share of production after royalty.
EXPLORING REFORMS Wants cost-recovery clause removed, end to govt role in micromanaging fields, tax holiday extension The Rangarajan panel has recommended the end of the controversial system of oil
Improved water and sanitation facilities, better housing, streamlined transportation systems and waste management are some of the services that smaller cities in the country can look forwards to in the next phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, the flagship programme of the Union Urban Development Ministry. The Ministry is keen to fund projects that will allow smaller cities that are fast moving towards urbanisation a chance to have and upgrade basic services.
The state government’s failure to implement proper audit practices caused huge losses in revenue from the mining sector, a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India said. The report
