Audit Reveals Cracks in Arunachal Pradesh's Tourism Blueprint

A CAG audit reveals major deficiencies in the development of tourism infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh. The report highlights poor planning, execution, and monitoring of projects, leading to wasteful expenditure and non-functional assets. Recommendations include recovering statutory dues and reviving abandoned projects.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has unearthed severe shortcomings in Arunachal Pradesh's tourism infrastructure development. The audit, covering 2017-18 to 2021-22, reveals poor planning and execution, resulting in millions in wasteful expenditure and idle projects.

Findings presented in the state Assembly by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein highlight issues such as funds mismanagement, work awarded to ineligible contractors, and projects executed without feasibility studies. Alarmingly, Rs 6.17 crore was improperly drawn from government accounts and left inactive.

The report underscores the need for a robust tourism policy framework, urging recovery of statutory dues and completion of abandoned projects. The CAG calls for penalties against responsible officers, emphasizing that 41 tourism projects, costing Rs 87.92 crore, remain unused.

(With inputs from agencies.)