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Audit Report 2020-21

 

 Arpookara Grama Panchayat Audit Report (2020–2021)

1. 💰 Financial Position & Budget Overview

  • Total Receipts: ₹10,05,24,766 (including an opening balance of ₹1,89,03,024).
  • Total Expenditure: ₹9,17,75,548.
  • Closing Balance: ₹87,49,218.
  • Operational Loss: An operational loss of ₹72,75,515 was recorded as per the Income and Expenditure statement for the year.

2. 🏗️ Annual Plan Implementation & Lapsed Funds

  • Project Execution: Out of 263 approved projects, only 202 projects were implemented.
  • Fund Utilization: Only ₹6.83 crore was utilized out of the allocated ₹12.72 crore, representing a plan expenditure rate of just 53.69%.
  • Lapsed Funds: Due to delays in implementation and treasury restrictions, an allocated amount of ₹1,07,30,017 lapsed and was lost.

3. ⚠️ Key Irregularities & Audit Findings

A) Excess Payments & Omission of Penalties:

  • Medical College Bus Stand Renovation: An excess payment of ₹7,104 was disbursed to the contractor due to failure to deduct the quoted tender reduction of 8.2% from the bill.
  • Road Works: Penalties were not imposed or recovered from contractors who failed to enter into agreements or complete works within the stipulated timeframe without proper justification.

B) Audited Disallowances:

A total amount of ₹32,61,494 was disallowed during the audit due to various procedural and financial lapses:

  • Maveli Store Rent: ₹1,34,100 was disallowed as rent was paid without obtaining the mandatory valuation certificate from the Public Works Department (PWD).
  • Procurement of Seedlings: ₹7,51,490 was disallowed for purchasing seedlings from the Kerala Agro Industries Corporation without verifying required eligibility and approvals.
  • Missing Utilization Certificates: ₹10,78,020 transferred to institutions including KSEB, Kerala Water Authority, and the District Planning Office was disallowed due to non-submission of Utilization Certificates.

C) Revenue Collection Deficiencies:

  • Profession Tax: Profession tax was not effectively collected from several institutions and employees, including those under the Medical College jurisdiction.
  • Trade Licenses: Out of over 1,200 commercial establishments operating within the Panchayat, trade licenses were issued to only 241.
  • Property Tax: Commercial buildings and hostels were improperly classified as residential properties, leading to significant revenue under-assessment.

D) Asset & Infrastructure Lapses:

  • Anganwadis: 23 out of 27 Anganwadis in the Panchayat lack their own land or building and operate out of rented premises.
  • Asset Register: Panchayat-owned properties have not been systematically surveyed, mutated, or updated in the official asset register.

📌 Corrective Measures & Recommendations

  1. Recovery: The excess payment of ₹7,104 must be recovered immediately from the responsible officials or contractor.
  2. Compliance: Required Utilization Certificates and statutory sanctions must be submitted to clear the disallowed amounts.
  3. Revenue Enhancement: Urgent steps must be taken to streamline trade licensing, property tax reassessment, and profession tax collection to boost internal revenue.
  4. Mandatory Timeline: The Panchayat must convene a special meeting within one month to discuss this report and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) to the Audit Office within two months.

  • Audit Report 2020-21