WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGAR: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), in its Report tabled in Parliament, has flagged systemic shortcomings in the implementation of rural electrification schemes that also covered Jammu and Kashmir, which was treated as a Special Category State during the audit period.
The performance audit examined the implementation of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) and Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA) across 27 States and three Union Territories, including the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, for projects sanctioned up to March 2020, with observations updated till December 2023.
Under the audit framework, Jammu and Kashmir was eligible for higher central grant support as a Special Category State.
However, the CAG noted that project planning and execution under DDUGJY nationally suffered from inadequate feasibility studies and absence of detailed field surveys, resulting in under- or over-estimation of infrastructure requirements. The report observed that Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) were prepared without comprehensive field surveys, a deficiency that applied uniformly to all implementing States and UTs, including Jammu and Kashmir .
The audit also highlighted that feeder separation and system strengthening objectives under DDUGJY were only partially achieved nationwide, with the Ministry of Power restricting State proposals during appraisal due to budgetary constraints. While no UT-wise break-up was provided, Jammu and Kashmir remained part of the implementation universe affected by these curtailed sanctions and revised project scopes .
On household electrification under SAUBHAGYA, the CAG questioned the claim of 100 per cent household electrification, noting discrepancies between original targets and revised estimates. The audit found that the number of households considered for electrification was reduced at the dashboard level and that the genuineness of electrification could not be fully ascertained. Jammu and Kashmir, which implemented SAUBHAGYA along with other States, was covered by these findings, though the report does not provide UT-specific household data .
The CAG further flagged financial management weaknesses, including premature release of funds without fulfilment of mandatory preconditions, absence of scheme-specific bank accounts at the nodal agency level, and inadequate reconciliation of scheme-wise utilisation. These lapses, the audit observed, weakened transparency and audit trails for all participating States and UTs, including Jammu and Kashmir .
Quality assurance and monitoring mechanisms were also found wanting. The audit reported delays in rectification of defects identified during quality inspections, inadequate third-party monitoring, and late appointment of quality monitors, defeating the purpose of concurrent oversight. These deficiencies applied across the board to projects implemented under the schemes, including those in Jammu and Kashmir .
While the CAG did not attribute any specific financial irregularity or quantified lapse exclusively to Jammu and Kashmir, it emphasised that the systemic issues identified pose risks for all implementing regions, particularly those dependent on central assistance for power infrastructure development.
In its response, the Ministry of Power stated that the CAG’s recommendations have been considered and assured that corrective measures would be incorporated in future schemes. The audit, however, underlines the need for stronger planning, field-based project preparation, tighter financial controls and robust monitoring mechanisms to ensure that rural electrification objectives are effectively achieved in Union Territories like Jammu and Kashmir, which face unique geographic and infrastructural challenges.
