HC asks CAG to probe utilisation of Tsunami fund

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday asked the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to look into the allegations that the state government had misappropriated the funds allotted by the Union Government for the tsunami rehabilitation schemes. If the CAG finds truth in the allegations, the state government is liable to reimburse the amount misappropriated, a Bench comprising Justice C N Ramachandran Nair and Justice K Vinod Chandran said.   The court issued the directive while disposing of a writ petition filed by A K Stephen, president, Kerala Matsya Thozhilali Congress complaining about the delay in the implementation of tsunami rehabilitation projects. The petitioner submitted that the state government had not spent the funds received from the Central Government. The state has been delaying the implementation of the projects for unknown reasons, he said.  In a detailed affidavit filed before the court, the state government submitted that the funds allotted by the Central Government for tsunami rehabilitation schemes had not been diverted for any other purpose. The funds had already been spent for the rehabilitation schemes under the supervision of a high-level committee in nine districts affected by the tsunami, the state said.