Failure to pay charges in time by Goa police led to late fee payment: CAG

The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) tabled in the Goa Assembly on Thursday said failure of the state police department to pay annual spectrum charges to the Union government resulted in avoidable payment of late fee of Rs 2.39 crore.

The CAG report was tabled in the House by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on the last day of the Monsoon session.

“The main duty of the state police force is to maintain law and order and wireless communication systems play an important role in this function. The Union ministry of communication is responsible for facilitating faster means of communication through the allotment of necessary spectrum,” the report said.

“The failure of the police department to pay spectrum charges in timely manner resulted in avoidable payment of Rs 2.39 crore as late fees for the period of 2018-19 to 2020-21. The department was required to pay annual licence fee plus royalty amounting to Rs 0.20 crore from 2004 to 2012 and Rs 0.47 crore from April 2012 to January 2022,” it added.

The CAG report informed that these charges were required to be paid in advance every year and a late fee at the rate of 2 per cent compounded annually was applicable for all delayed payments.

“Till March 2018, the department had paid only 0.07 crore. The total amount payable worked out to Rs 23.77 crore, which included a late fee of Rs 19.38 crore. The ministry conveyed waiver of late fee up to June 2018 on all networks existing prior to June 01, 2004 and requested all states to clear their dues to at the earliest but not later than December 06, 2018,” it said.

Thus, with the waiver of late fee of Rs 19.38 crore, the liability of the department as on March 31, 2018 was Rs 4.39 crore, and, accordingly, the department should have cleared the outstanding dues of Rs 4.86 crore by June 30, 2016.

The CAG has noted that the department continued to make part payments which resulted in levy of late fee of Rs 2.39 crore.