CAG Flags Rs 2.35 Crore Wasteful Spending on Urdu Computer Training Centres

Hyderabad: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has flagged wasteful expenditure of Rs 2.35 crore by the Telangana Minorities Finance Corporation due to non-utilisation of Urdu computer training centres (CTCs) and associated libraries intended to promote IT skills among minority students in the period ending March 2022.

According to the audit report, the centres were originally established to enhance computer literacy and promote the Urdu language. In 2015, the state government transferred 43 Urdu CTCs and 30 Urdu libraries to TSMFC. Later, in 2017, the government proposed merging these facilities and upgrading 37 centres.

Scrutiny of records by the CAG revealed that only 13 out of the proposed centres were upgraded between 2017 and 2018, at a cost of Rs 1.64 crore. Training activities remained limited, with 518 students trained in a few centres during 2018-19, while only 67 students were trained in a non-upgraded centre. No training programmes have been conducted in any of the centres since February 2019.

The CAG noted in its report that despite many centres being non-functional, significant expenditure continued. Only 14 centres operated from government buildings, while 35 functioned from rented premises. An amount of Rs 71 lakh was paid as rent between February 2019 and March 2022, even as several centres remained non-operational.

TSMFC attributed the lack of training to the absence of government permissions during the Covid-19 period and insufficient budgetary support in subsequent years. The corporation had also proposed discontinuing non-functional centres to avoid rental expenses, but no action was taken by the state government.

The CAG also pointed to inadequate awareness efforts about the scheme, stating that advertisements were issued only for a limited period, raising concerns about outreach to intended beneficiaries.