Hyderabad: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s (CAG) Audit has flagged irregularities in several tourism projects launched by the Telangana government previously.
A study of Swadesh Darshan Scheme, a Central government programme to promote and develop tourism, has highlighted that Telangana Tourism Development Corporation had arrayed incorrect utilization certificates (UCs) to the tune of Rs 21.6 crore against the real and accurate status of expenditure and work incurred. Moreover, in the tribal circuits, works were taken up without forest clearance, resulting in the wastage of funds.
The CAG has also conducted a keen audit on the heritage circuit for the Qutub Shahi Heritage Park, Paigah Tombs, Hayat Bakshi Mosque, and Raymond’s Tomb development project taken up by Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation with a cost of Rs 97 crore, of which Rs 70 crore were already released.
The work on Qutub Shahi Heritage Park stopped after the Telangana Waqf Board claimed ownership over it, and the matter went to sub-judice in 2007. Due to the litigation, work stopped in January 2021 after the state bore an expenditure of Rs 9 crore on the order of the Telangana Waqf Tribunal, stopping any kind of construction.
The audit further observed that the site had been under litigation since 2007, and yet the government selected it despite being aware of the legal restriction. Hence, an amount of Rs 9.01 crore used for the execution of the works got wasted. The Qutub Shahi Heritage Park offers great potential for tourists as it is on the tentative list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.
Moreover, Rs 6.2 lakh was paid for the maintenance of and shrubs of Raymond’s Tomb and Hayat Bakshi Mosque from the scheme funds. It was again an inadmissible expenditure and was supported by the state government.
For the tribal circuit, Rs 61 lakh was spent on the repairs and renovation of the old suspension bridge to Island-1 at Laknavaram (Mugulu) and Rs 3.3 crore on employees’ car hire charges and the purchase of vehicles, which were again disallowed.
