In what is being seen as lack of transparency and a sign of possible financial bungling, it has been revealed that the Cochin City Corporation has been auditing its accounts without mentioning details of actual revenue and expenditure for last 15 years.
The Times of India reports that the local civic body has failed to submit proper revenue and expenditure statements for audit since 2000.
Showing lack of transparency in utilizing public money, the audit department of the corporation reportedly done the audit without considering the actual revenue of the local body for each of these years.
“Earlier, Ferguson software was used for storing data. Later, the government introduced Information Kerala Mission (IKM) in 2010-11. This resulted in certain technical problems in keeping accounts on expenditure. However, we have given all the details to the local fund audit department in 2014,” T J Vinod, deputy mayor and chairperson of the standing committee for finance told ToI.
As per the report, audit department officials have clearly stated in their audit reports for 2010-11, 2012-13 and 2013-14 that the corporation has not submitted details of expenditure from 2000 to 2010.
The department has also sent show cause notice to corporation secretary over the issue.
The report says that in the 2016-17 budget, the corporation has allotted Rs 20 lakh for appointing an agency to identify new avenues of revenue generation.
“If the corporation had submitted proper accounts regarding revenue collection to the local fund audit department, they would have prescribed measures to plug losses. But, they are now deploying another agency to find new areas of revenue,” said V P councillor Chandran.