Odisha's investments in PSUs yield poor returns, says CAG report

Out of 147 entities where the government poured funds, only 12 had paid dividend- two rural banks, nine government companies and one statutory corporation

The Odisha government's investments in public sector undertakings (PSUs) – government companies, cooperative societies, statutory corporations and others have drawn lacklustre returns. The rate of return on government investments has been on the wane since 2014-15.

A report on state finances for the year ended March 2018 by the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) shows the rate of return (on government investments) has drastically plunged from 30.71 per cent in 2014-15 to 1.33 per cent at the end of 2018-19. Return in the form of dividend has fallen sharply from Rs 1076.44 crore to Rs 66.22 crore in the