Lucknow/Ayodhya, Oct. 16 -- With the state government's audit department flagging Rs 200-crore anomalies in expenditure by the Ayodhya Nagar Nigam (ANN) in the financial year 2023-24, the civic authorities are preparing to file a response to the 71-page audit report. The office of the deputy director, local fund audit department, Ayodhya division of the state government, has prepared the report. The report also relates to the period when the pran pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla was held in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024. In the run-up to the ceremony, Ayodhya underwent a complete makeover. Multi-crore development projects of the Centre and the state were rolled out before the mega event, including three road widening projects, the Ayodhya international airport and a complete makeover of the Ayodhya railway station. In reply to the audit report, additional municipal commissioner, ANN, Nagendra Nath said audits are a common procedure in all departments. The municipal corporation received audit objections for the financial year 2023-24. "After reviewing these objections, a response will be prepared at the appropriate level and made available to the audit department," Nath said. "Prima facie, it appears that most of the audit objections were submitted without proper scrutiny of the files. A three-month period has been given for the resolution of the objections. Responses to the objections will be sent to the audit department within the stipulated time frame," he added. Among the objections raised in the audit report are temporary advances given to various municipal corporation employees. Despite repeated objections, the advances were not adjusted, resulting in a loss of Rs 2.18 crore, the report said. Furthermore, non-payment of advertising permit fees resulted in a financial loss of Rs 1.40 crore and non-payment of contract funds resulted in a Rs 2.77 crore loss, the report added. Reserving (stand-by) sanitation workers resulted in misuse of Rs 33.52 lakh, the report said, adding that Rs 96.25 lakh was overpaid by showing an increased length of cleaning work. The report also said Rs 1.31 crore was overpaid by submitting bills before the contract date without a work order, Rs 59,435 overpaid by showing an increased number of drivers contrary to the work order, and Rs 4.46 crore overpaid for traffic light installation. The audit report also said contrary to the contract, Rs 41.92 lakh was paid without work verification, Rs 36.51 lakh were paid without determining the nature, quantity, and rate of the goods. The report also said Rs 8.75 lakh were withdrawn by showing multiple vehicles being used simultaneously. According to the audit report, the divisional commissioner had ordered the company, Pratap Heights, selected for the construction of the Kanha Gaushala, to be blacklisted. Despite this, the firm was paid Rs 6.05 crore. In another case, irregular payments of Rs 9.98 lakh were made to various firms without bills, the report said. The audit report has been sent to the secretary, urban development, the Ayodhya divisional commissioner and the Ayodhya district magistrate. Ayodhya divisional commissioner Rajesh Kumar has marked the audit report to Ayodhya municipal commissioner Jayendra Kumar for further action....