Government auditor CAG has flagged diversion of Rs 33,682.86 crore (Rs 336.83 billion) from the USO fund, which was set up to provide basic telephone services in rural areas, for other purposes from 2002-03 to 2013-14.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in a report said against the total collection of universal access levy (UAL) of Rs 58,579.35 crore (Rs 585.79 billion) during 2002-03 to 2013-14, disbursement of subsidy of only Rs 24,896.49 crore (Rs 248.96 billion) was made from the fund during these periods.
"The remaining levy of Rs 33,682.86 crore was not transferred to the USO fund and utilised for the purposes other than the stated objectives for which the levy was meant," the report, which was tabled in Parliament, said.
The report said disbursement of amount also include the reimbursement of licence fees and spectrum charges to loss making state-run firm BSNL amounting to Rs 6,948.64 crore (Rs 69.49 billion) over the period 2002-03 to 2005-06 for fulfilling rural obligation.
The Universal Service Obligation (USO) fund was set up in April 2002 and a statutory status was given to it. The fund is administered by Department of Telecom (DoT).
The fund is to be utilised for providing access to basis telegraph services, like provision of public telecommunication and information services and provision of household telephones in rural and remote areas, provision of broadband connectivity to villages and induction of new technological developments in telecom sector in rural areas.
The resources for meeting USO fund were to be raised through a 'universal access levy' (UAL).
CAG said the levy received towards USO is first credited to the consolidated fund of India and subsequently, the Centre credits the proceeds to the USO fund in public account of India from time to time, for being utilised exclusively towards the stated objectives and it is a non-lapsable fund.
The auditor said the issue of understatement of balances of USO fund was commented upon in its report for year 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13.
"Despite CAG's audit observation on USO fund during earlier years, it was noticed that DoT transferred only Rs 2,163.45 crore (Rs 21.63 billion) to the USO fund in the public account out of total receipts of Rs 7,896.39 crore (Rs 78.96 billion) towards UAL during 2013-14," CAG said.
The auditor said PAC in its recommendations contained in their fourteenth report (15th Lok Sabha 2009-10) had observed that government should not have any problem in crediting the full amount collected as UAL in USO fund especially when the proceeds were meant to be utilised exclusively for meeting universal service obligation.
"Thus, depiction of 'nil' balance under USO fund in the Finance Accounts of the respective years was in contravention of PAC recommendations," CAG added.
