The West Bengal BJP government will table withheld CAG reports for four financial years from 2021-22 to 2024-25 during the Assembly Budget session in Kolkata.
The move increases political pressure on the Trinamool Congress, which faces severe corruption allegations regarding its 15-year rule in the state.
Previous audits flagged a massive Rs 2.29 lakh crore in missing utilisation certificates for Central grants across multiple state departments.
Suvendu Says Bengal Govt May Table CAG Reports Covering Four Years Of Mamata Rule
West Bengal's BJP government will table four years of withheld CAG reports in the Assembly, exposing alleged TMC corruption and Rs 2.29 lakh crore in missing utilisation certificates.
Summary
West Bengal's new BJP government will likely table four withheld financial years of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports during the ongoing Assembly Budget session, Indian Express reported. This development spells more trouble for the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which is facing charges of corruption during its 15 years of rule in the state.
The previous TMC government last tabled a CAG report for the 2020-21 financial year. Officials withheld subsequent audits for the financial years 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 despite explicit directions from then Governor CV Ananda Bose.
The state Budget will be presented on Monday, June 22, 2026. The Assembly session runs until June 25 and resumes on July 6. "The CAG reports always flagged corrupt practices of the TMC government. Naturally, the state government was not happy with the CAG reports and did not want them to be published," a senior state Finance Department official told Indian Express, adding that unless the CAG reports are tabled in the Assembly, they are not available in the public domain.
Unaccounted Welfare Scheme Funds
Multiple audits from 2011 to 2020 flagged the non-receipt of utilisation certificates (UCs) amounting to Rs 2.29 lakh crore of Central grants. State rules require grantees to submit these certificates within one year of fund disbursal to prove proper utilisation.
Pending certificates span multiple departments. The 2020-21 report showed the Panchayat and Rural Development Department had the highest pendency with 81,950 unsubmitted certificates worth Rs 81,839 crore. The School Education Department followed with 38,117 UCs for Rs 36,850 crore, and the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department accounted for 34,837 UCs for Rs 30,693 crore.
"It is assumed that UCs are not submitted if the funds have not been utilised properly and have been misappropriated," a state official said. The 2020-21 CAG report echoed this concern. "In the absence of UCs, it could not be ascertained whether the recipients had utilised the grants for the purposes for which these were given. This assumes greater importance as pendency in non-submission of UCs is fraught with the risk of misappropriation," the report said, noting the TMC government remained unconcerned.
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Risks of Contingent Bills
Another anomaly involves emergency funding. Money is drawn from the state exchequer through Abstract Contingent (AC) bills in case of contingencies like floods, erosion, droughts, and other natural disasters. Departments drawing funds through these bills must submit Detailed Contingent (DC) bills within 60 days of withdrawal.
Government records show systemic violations. As of March 2021, exactly 11,321 detailed bills totalling Rs 3,400 crore remained unsubmitted to the state exchequer.
"Pending DC bills reflect accounting indiscipline by government functionaries and controlling authorities, leading to risk of fraud, temporary misappropriation and embezzlement of funds," the 2020-21 CAG report said.
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