the goan I network
PANAJI
The principal accountant general, Goa has pin-pointed a Rs 1.24 crore loss in revenue due to lack of proper fixation of monthly fees to be paid by a private maritime institute -- Sea Scan Maritime Training Institute -- which was given space on the grounds at the Fire and Emergency Services headquarters in Panaji, way back in 2000.
The Accountant General has pointed out in his report submitted to the Home Department last month that the original monthly rent to be paid by the Institute was set at Rs 50,000 per 30 students. It was later hiked to Rs 75,000 in 2010.
However, the Institute was paying Rs 51,500 per month from October 2000 to June 2011 and Rs 75,000 per month from July 2011, the accountant general noted in his report.
The report also points out that the agreement was violated and therefore should have been null and void as the condition that there should be a collaboration with the Fire and Emergency Services for the conduct of the basic fire-fighting courses was not adhered to.
The F&ES department was also not kept in the loop about the details of the courses conducted by the Institute, the report points out.
“Due to lapses in the implementation of fee properly, the F&ES lost revenue to the tune of Rs 1.25 crore during the span of five years and the loss would be higher if calculated
from the year 2000,” the Accountant General’s report states.
Giving the details of the student enrollment and the rent paid by the Institute for the five-year period between 2015-16 and 2018-19, the Accountant General has asked the State Home Department to verify the figures and offer point-wise comments. The exercise is part of the statutory audit conducted by the Accountant General under the aegis of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
