The second phase inspections by the State Finance Inspection wing under the Finance department have unearthed more financial irregularities in the Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation (PTCF) under the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) at Thekkady.
According to sources, the second-level inspections have found that a park welfare fund (PWF) was formed in 2004 under the PTR. “Any such funds should be formed as per a government order. However, the inspection revealed that there was no government order or direction to form the PWF. The PTR authorities violated norms by forming a fund without prior government order. The officials failed to provide any valid order regarding the formation of the PWF,“ said a source.
According to sources, the income from various ecotourism programmes run by PTR was transferred to bank account of the PWF. “The annual budget of the PWF is over ₹5 crore. But there were no proper audits on the utilisation of the funds from the PWF,” said the source.
According to sources, the inspection revealed that the officials collected ₹4.28 crore as advance from the foundation for major works, which they should repay upon receiving government funds. If any official delayed payment, they should pay 18% interest. “The inspection also revealed that ₹4.28 crore has been pending with the foundation since 2004,” said the source.
Without proper plan
The inspection also revealed that construction work inside the forest, including solar fencing, were carried out without a proper plan or design from the civil engineering wing.
According to officials, the inspection was held as per a directive of Minister for Forest and Wildlife A.K. Saseendran. The Kerala Non-Gazetted Employees Association (NGEA) recently filed a complaint demanding a probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the PTR. The second-level inspection was held after the NGEA filed another complaint seeking to probe the alleged irregularities in the Park Welfare Fund.
