CAG raps MHA for avoidable spend

New Delhi : Sep 7, 2011, 03.08AM:Picking holes in some decisions made by the home ministry, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has pointed out that the ministry had incurred an "avoidable expenditure" of more than Rs 9 crore by flying helicopters from Delhi to the North-East and Jammu and Kashmir to aid its troops deployed in operations.

Besides, it has also rapped the ministry and its police wireless wing for incurring an "avoidable expenditure" of Rs 13 crore towards spectrum charges for Multi Access Radio Telephones (MART).

The CAG, in its latest report tabled in Parliament, said six MI-17 helicopters purchased by the home ministry at a cost of Rs 125.29 crore in 2003 were parked at Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi, instead of being "optimally utilized for meeting its operational requirement in North-East and Jammu & Kashmir areas".