With a parliamentary panel finding misutilisation and diversion of tsunami relief funds, an empowered group of ministers (e-GOM) headed by union home minister Shivraj Patil has undertaken a review of the Rs 10,000 crore rehabilitation scheme. Since 2008-09 is the deadline for implementation of the rehabilitation scheme, the e-GoM issued a directive to the affected states and union territories that the work should be expedited to complete the task within the stipulated time. Home ministry sources said the major task included construction of one lakh houses and repair of ports, jetties, roads and bridges. Tsunami had hit the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry on December 26, 2004, affecting 28 lakh people and causing huge losses to life and property. The e-GoM meeting, held on Friday, was attended by finance minister P Chidambaram, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and vice-chairman of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Gen N C Vij (retd). The meeting came in the backdrop of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament citing audit reports revealing that out of Rs 1,759.05 crore released, Rs 228.58 crore were "either misutilised or diverted" for various purposes due to "financial irregularities". The performance audit revealed that the relief and rehabilitation measures implemented in the affected states and UTs "have failed to provide the much-needed relief" to the victims even after a lapse of over three years. The parliamentary panel headed by Vijay Kumar Malhotra said in its report last month that funds relating to tsunami relief were diverted for other purposes, while the process of identification of beneficiaries and verification of claims was not foolproof. An amount of Rs 4.88 crore was diverted in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry, it said. The panel also found that there was an excess expenditure of Rs 4.95 crore due to wrong application of rates and payment of enhanced compensation. On the other hand, an avoidable expenditure of Rs 5.32 crore was made due to delay in construction of permanent houses in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, while Andaman and Nicobar Islands surrendered over Rs 80 crore in the absence of any meaningful plans, the report said. The report said construction of permanent houses got late because of delay in acquisition of land, approval of plans and in construction and repair of basic infrastructure such as roads and highways, schools, bridges and water supply.