New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has reportedly found irregularities in the implementation of the Union government’s Ayodhya development plan, under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme. Irregularities include undue benefits to contractors, The Indian Express reported.The CAG audited the Swadesh Darshan Scheme between January 2015 to March 2022. The report from the audit was tabled in parliament on Wednesday, and stated that undue benefits of Rs 19.73 crore were made to contractors in six projects/circuits across six states.On the undue benefits specific to the Ayodhya project, the CAG report says, “The contractor engaged by the implementing agency viz., Uttar Pradesh Rajkiya Nirman Nigam, was required to submit performance guarantee at the rate of five per cent of the contract price of Rs 62.17 crore, which worked out to Rs 3.11 crore. However, the contractor submitted a lesser amount of performance guarantee i.e., Rs 1.86 crore only, at the time of its renewal (September 2021) without citing any reason on record.”“Work at Guptar Ghat, Ayodhya was split into 14 lots of equal sizes and works were awarded to different private contractors. However, the executing agency (Irrigation Department) did not take due care in making comparative analysis of the financial bids/rates offered by the contractors and awarded works of similar nature and sanctioned costs to the same contractors but at varying rates resulting in failure to save Rs 19.13 lakh,” it continued“GST registrations of three contractors were cancelled by the state government suo motu after awarding of works to them. Thus, they were no more registered contractors and were not entitled to collect GST. However, a total of Rs 19.57 lakh was irregularly paid to one contractor against his GST registration and in case of other two contractors, it was pending for payment, whereas full amount of GST was liable to be deducted and deposited by the executing agency (Irrigation Department) itself,” The Indian Express quoted the CAG report as saying.Contractors were paid for work that has not been executed, the CAG said. “The work of development of the Guptar Ghat included work of 23,767 sq.mtr ‘supplying and fixing of stone patia’ at the rate of Rs 1,447.50 per sq.mtr. This work included the cost of MS clamp (supply and fixing) at Rs 216.88 per sq.mtr. (Rs 136.88 for supply and Rs 80.00 for fixing). The work was executed and payment was made to the private contractors at the rates quoted by them in their respective agreements,” the report said.The other five projects mentioned in the report are the development of Sinquerim-Aguada Jail, Goa; Himalayan Circuit, Himachal Pradesh; Heritage Circuit, Telangana; development of Rangpo-Singtam, Sikkim; and Buddhist Circuit, Madhya Pradesh.