Criticising Jammu and Kashmir for poor fiscal management, the country's apex auditor CAG has said the state administration has been continuously failing to "regularise" a whopping Rs 71,088 crore expenditure incurred cumulatively over the period from 1980 through 2008.
"The excess expenditure amounting to Rs 71,088.66 crore incurred during 1980-2008 are yet to be regularised (approved) by the state assembly," said Comptroller and Auditor General report for the year ended on March 31, 2009.
The report, which was tabled in the assembly today, further revealed that as per the Constitution, it is mandatory for any government to get its excess grant/appropriation approved by the legislature.
Although no time limit for regularisation of excess expenditure is prescribed in the statutes, regularisation of excess expenditure is done after completion of discussions of the appropriation accounts by the state assembly, CAG said.
The report further said the state finance department has been continuously failing to follow the advice of the principal accountant general during these years. It also pointed out that it has not been even getting the demand for grants approved by the assembly.