A Cry For Good Governance

Jehangir adddresses an old problem with no solution in sight


(Mr. Jehangir Rashid Malik, 38, was born in Srinagar, and did his primary schooling at the Green Land Educational Institute in Hawal, Srinagar. He studies at the Sri Partap Higher Secondary School for classes XI and XII, and completed his Bachelor's degree through distance mode from the University of Kashmir. He subsequently graduated from the Media Education Research Centre (MERC) of the University of Kashmir with a Master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. As a journalist, he is associated with the Civil Society, a New Delhi magazine, and is the Editor of Kashmir Plus, a news and feature based portal of Srinagar. He began his career in journalism as a correspondent with the Kashmir Times, and later worked at the Daily Etalaat (English) and as a news editor with the Daily Khidmat (English). He has been awarded the Sanjoy Ghose Humanitarian Award for story writing by the Charkha Development Network, New Delhi, and has received fellowships from the Action Aid India, the Centre for Science and Environment, and the National Foundation for India (NFI), all based in New Delhi. This article is a part of series of articles to be published in connection with the fellowship offered to the writer by the NFI, New Delhi on the topic, ‘Drug addiction among females in Kashmir valley.’ In his leisure time, Mr. Malik likes watching cricket and listening to radio programs especially old melodies sung by legends, Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar Ganguly.)


19 PSUs, Corporations Without Audit for Several Years

Srinagar: Barring Jammu and Kashmir Bank Limited, most of the 19 State Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Corporations have failed to complete the audit for more than 15 years and successive Governments have been sleeping over the issue.

At the same time, majority of the Boards working under the administrative control of different departments have not taken up the exercise of annual audit so far.

According to an official document, Jammu and Kashmir Bank Limited is the only State PSU whose accounts are upto date. Statutory Corporations like Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (J&KSRTC), Jammu and Kashmir State Financial Corporation and Jammu and Kashmir State Forest Corporation have also failed to maintain their accounts for a long time.

The official document said that Jammu and Kashmir State Industries Corporation (SICOP) has earned the dubious distinction of being the front runner in non-compliance of the audit. It was for the financial year of 1988-89 that SICOP took up the audit and since then no audit has taken place.

Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (J and K PCC) is second on the list with no audit taking place since the last two decades. Last time it was in 1990-91 that the audit was completed at J and K PCC. Jammu and Kashmir Agro Industries Development Corporation comes next on the dubious list with the audit missing since 18 years as it was in 1992-93 that the audit was taken up, the official document added.

"Three Corporations Jammu and Kashmir Minerals, Jammu and Kashmir State Forest Corporation and Jammu and Kashmir Horticultural Produce Marketing Corporation are without any audit since the last 17 years. Last time it was during the financial year of 1993-94 that these Corporations carried out the audit activities and since then it has been disbanded," said the document.

He added that Jammu and Kashmir Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes Development Corporation has failed to take up the audit activity since the last 16 years. The Corporation took up the audit for the financial year 1994-95 and since then no audit has taken place. Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation took up the audit activity for the financial year 1995-96 and over the last 15 financial years no audit has taken place.

"Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation and Jammu and Kashmir Handloom Development Corporation are without any audit for the last 14 years. Both these Corporations took up the audit for the financial year 1996-97 and since then no audit has been carried out," the document said.

It added that Jammu and Kashmir Cements and Jammu and Kashmir Handicrafts (S and E) Corporation are without any audit since last 13 years adding that last time both it was in 1997-98 that the PSU and Corporation carried out the audit activity. Jammu and Kashmir Women's Development Corporation is without any audit over the last 12 years with the last audit done for the financial year of 1998-99.

"State Industrial Development Corporation (SIDCO) is without the audit since 1999-2000 and the Corporation has failed to update its accounts since the last 11 years. Police Housing Corporation carried out the audit activity last time in 2000-01 and since then no audit has been taken up," said the document.

He said that Power Development Corporation and Jammu and Kashmir Industries are without the audit since the last nine years with the activity taken up last time in 2001-02.

"It was for the financial year of 2004-05 that JKSRTC took up the audit activity and the audit is missing since the last six financial years. Jammu and Kashmir State Financial Corporation took up the audit activity in 2007-08 and since the last three financial years no audit has been taken up," the document said.

He added that audit could not be taken up due to delay in appointment of statutory auditors, non-compilation of draft accounts by the PSUs on time and delay on part of auditors in completing their assignments on time.

"The State Finance Department is closely monitoring progress on the roadmap that it has provided to all the State PSUs to complete the audit of backlog years during the current financial year," it said.

The official document said that no audit whatsoever has been done with respect to Jammu and Kashmir State Advisory Board for Development of Gujjars and Bakarwals, Jammu and Kashmir State Advisory Board for Development of Pahari Speaking People, Jammu and Kashmir State Advisory Board for the Development of Kissans, Jammu and Kashmir State Advisory Board for Other Backward Classes and Jammu and Kashmir State Advisory Board for Welfare and Development of Scheduled Castes.

"The audit is missing for the last nine years of Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board (J and K HB) as the activity was last time taken up in 2001-02. For Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB), the last audit was done for the financial year of 2006-07. For Jammu and Kashmir Board for Muslim Specified for Wakfs and Specified Wakf Properties, the audit is missing for one year with the audit of 2009-2010 taken up last time," the document said.

It added that delay in audit with respect to KVIB and J and K HB is due to the procedural delays and non-deputation of audit teams by the Accountant General.