New Delhi, Feb. 4 -- Referring to a CAG report of 2022, a Parliamentary panel has flagged "irregularities" in the setting up of Indian Cultural Centres by the country's missions in the US and France.
It pointed out that despite being aware that a 103-year-old property purchased in Washington in 2013 had "significant structural concerns", the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) did not opt out of buying it, and consequently took on "avoidable liabilities".
The Public Accounts Committee (2025-2026), in its report presented to the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, has flagged "failure" of several Indian missions and posts abroad in extending the "revised rate of exchange (RoE)" for local currencies as prescribed by the MEA for calculating visa fee in the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) scheme, which led to revenue shortfall of Rs 58.23 crore during the 2017-2020 period.
The committee, therefore, enjoins upon the MEA to "conduct a thorough enquiry" in both the matters of application of incorrect exchange rates and setting up of the Indian Cultural Centres in Washington and Paris, and "fix accountability" on erring officials in headquarters and missions/posts, the report says.
The panel has further recommended "appropriate administrative action" against the officers, including disciplinary proceedings wherever warranted, for non-compliance with ministry directives, failure to maintain proper records, circumventing ministry's orders and inefficient and delayed utilisation of the properties acquired in Washington and Paris and a prolonged time period taken for renovation.
The report -- 'Short collection of fees due to application of incorrect exchange rate in fixing the fees for Overseas Citizenship of India Card scheme and Irregularities in setting up of Indian Cultural Centres by Indian Missions at Washington and Paris' -- is based on "Para. 2.1 and 2.2 of Comptroller and Auditor General of India (C&AG) report" of 2022 relating to the Ministry of External Affairs.
The audit brought up the issue of the purchase of two properties for setting up Indian Cultural Centres (ICCs) at Paris (2011) and Washington (2013) by the MEA, "which could not be put to use as cultural centres even after a lapse of 11 and nine years respectively, as of 2022," the report adds.
"The expenditure incurred on the purchase of property for ICC Washington, along with its renovation and refurbishment amounting to Rs 41.93 crore, remained unused.
"Similarly, the property for ICC Paris procured at a cost of Rs 30.03 crore (2011) remained unused as on June 2022. In addition, an irregular expenditure of Rs 14.89 crore incurred on hiring a local security agency for an under-renovation building," it said
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.