Over 2.6 lakh construction workers in Bihar were unable to receive ₹52.02 crore under the COVID Special Grant Scheme due to technical issues, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). The CAG's audit report on the Bihar government's performance and compliance for the financial year ending March 31, 2022, was presented in the state assembly on Tuesday.

The report mentioned that 3,02,476 construction workers did not receive annual medical assistance worth ₹90.75 crore. Additionally, state universities did not use a budget of ₹4,134.21 crore, and Bihar lost ₹476.90 crore in World Bank assistance under the Neer Nirmal Pariyojna. "The state government framed the Bihar Building and Other Construction Workers Rules (BBOCW Rules) after a delay of nine years. The Bihar Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (BBOCWB) had been constituted after a delay of 28 months," said the report. The Board and the State Advisory Committee (SAC) had not been reformed since February 2015. 

Additionally, the inspectors appointed by the Board did not carry out any inspections of construction sites or premises during the financial years 2017-22, the report stated. Due to transaction failures by the responsible authorities, 3,02,476 construction workers didn't receive their annual medical assistance, totalling ₹90.75 crore, during the financial years 2018-21. Additionally, 2,60,082 labourers did not get their entitled funds of ₹52.02 crore under the COVID-19 Special Grant Scheme, the report stated. The report stated that the State Cooperative Department lacked a database of potential beneficiaries, which is essential for planning, monitoring and ensuring proper support for farmers under the scheme.

It also mentioned that due to issues like Aadhaar not being linked to farmers' bank accounts and account closures, transactions worth ₹51.11 crore failed across different crop seasons between 2018 and 2021. "During financial years 2017-22, against the budget provision of ₹22,576.33 crore, ₹4,134.21 crore (18 per cent) had not been utilised and was surrendered to the Education Department by the universities, indicating unrealistic budget proposals and inadequate financial control mechanism in the institutes," the report stated, referring to administrative and financial issues in the Bihar universities.

In five of the 11 state universities, the arrears of salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff, amounting to ₹48.28 crore, had been disbursed without due verification through the Pay Verification Cell. In the 11 state universities, 57% of teaching staff positions were unfilled. The shortage varied across universities, ranging from 49% at Bhupendra Narain Mandal University to 86% at Maulana Mazharul Haq Arabic & Persian University. Similarly, 56% of non-teaching staff positions were also vacant.

Under the Neer Nirmal Pariyojna scheme, the report stated, "The World Bank was to contribute approximately ₹803.00 crore (50 per cent of the project cost). Due to delays in implementation and less expenditure till March 2020, Bihar received only ₹326.10 crore and was deprived of World Bank assistance, amounting to ₹ 476.90 crore." “Further, Neer Nirmal Pariyojna funds of ₹64.21 crore had been diverted towards payment of Operations and Maintenance (O&M) and non-eligible schemes,” it added. The construction of a bridge by the Rural Works Division, Barh (Patna), without ensuring the availability of eligible habitations and land, led to idle expenditure of ₹3.33 crore, it said.

"Non-production of records severely limits the exercise of CAG's constitutional mandate and may result in a lack of accountability by the state government functionaries, as well as instances of concealment of fraud, misappropriation, embezzlement, etc.," the CAG report added.