Bhubaneswar: A performance audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has flagged loopholes in the implementation of tribal welfare, rural employment and nutrition schemes in Odisha, according to an HT report.
It revealed that a significant portion of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups remain outside the ambit of government benefits.
The audit, which reviewed schemes for PVTGs and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme between 2019-20 and 2023-24, found that 54% of the state’s PVTG population, around 1.6 lakh people, were not covered by welfare programmes.
According to the report, access to guaranteed employment under MGNREGS also remained limited. Only 6.24% to 11.26% of households that demanded work received the entire 100 days of employment during the review period.
The CAG highlighted that failures in the system affected programme delivery, including exclusion of beneficiaries, creation of non functional assets and lapses in implementation across departments tasked with development of tribals.
The findings are part of a review of programmes meant to support PVTGs.
