Serious financial irregularities have been revealed in the functioning of Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority
(UPSIDA) leading to misappropriation of Rs 255.75 crores 2017-22.
The CAG report, represented in the state assembly on Thursday, revealed several shocking facts. It is alleged that large contracts worth crores of rupees were awarded on the basis of forged documents.
According to the report, UPSIDA awarded contracts worth ₹255.75 crore to various contractors through tenders based on forged and fabricated documents. In many of these cases, the contractors’ eligibility was not even verified, clearly demonstrating the lack of transparency in the process.
The CAG has expressed serious objection to the fact that such large-value tenders were awarded without proper verification, resulting in losses to the government treasury.
This CAG report covers the period from 2017-18 to 2021-22. The report also uncovered numerous flaws in the land allocation process. Rules were ignored in allocating land for industrial and other projects, while irregularities were also found in the recovery of compensation. In many cases, affected parties were not properly compensated or suffered losses due to delays in the process.
The CAG has called these actions of UPSIDA into question. The report recommends initiating a departmental inquiry against the responsible officials and taking strict action against those found guilty. It also recommends implementing strict standards in contract approval, document verification, and land allocation processes to prevent such irregularities.