Kohima: Nagaland government departments are failing to account for public money. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India reported that 210 utilization certificates worth Rs 365.25 crore remained outstanding on March 31, 2025. This backlog grew throughout the 2024-25 fiscal year despite government promises to fix the issue.
The Planning and Coordination Department leads the list of defaulters with Rs 135.76 crore tied up in 28 pending certificates. Other departments including Industries and Commerce, Youth Resources and Sports, Health and Family Welfare, and Municipal Affairs also report significant delays. Some certificates have been outstanding for over a decade. The audit noted that the Youth Resources and Sports Department continued releasing fresh grants to defaulting grantees without collecting earlier required paperwork. Rules demand these certificates within 12 months, yet departments ignore these mandates.
Financial irregularities extend to Abstract Contingent bills. These allow officials to draw funds for emergencies without immediate documentation. The state has 307 pending bills totaling Rs 448.17 crore. The Home Department leads this category with Rs 156.05 crore, followed by Civil Election and Election departments. Auditors highlighted that 111 bills worth Rs 186.96 crore were drawn in 2024-25 alone. They warned that these missing details make it impossible to verify if the spending is final or correct.
Government officials have offered repetitive assurances to the auditor. During a February 2026 conference, the Finance Commissioner promised to take more proactive steps to clear the backlog. However, the report noted that "the details of the steps to be taken up were not highlighted." The CAG warned that this failure to monitor accounts creates a high risk of misappropriation.
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