MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI HUKUMDEO NARAYAN YADAV)
(a): The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (C&AG) has forwarded a draft
paragraph on the object.
(b): Since July 2000, Customs authorities are referring the consignments and the
same are being subjected to quarantine inspections.
The comments have been communicated to Director (Inspection), Office of the
Director of Audit (Central), Kolkata. The copy of the comments is annexed.
Annexure
Draft Paragraph on `Loss of Revenue` relating to Plant Quarantine Station, Kalimpong for inclusion in
CAG`s Audit Report, Union Govt. (Civil) for the year ended 31.3.01
Points of irregularities
1. From September 1987 to July 2000 all consignments of imported plant material were allowed into
the country without necessary certification from the PPO. The gross negligence and failure
resulted in the risk of import of infected plant material into the country and a revenue loss of
Rs.1.66 crore for the period September 1987 to July 2000.
2. Since PPO did not carry out a single such inspection of infected plant material, a large part of the
expenditure incurred during the period September 1987 to July 2000 on his office amounting to
Rs.81.59 lakh was infructuous.
Comments
The audit themselves have observed that PPO could not inspect imported consignments of
agricultural products for the period since inspection of the Plant Quarantine Station in September 1987 to
July 2000 because the customs authorities, (for whom it was obligatory to release these consignments
only after inspection and clearance certificate from the PPO did not refer the consignments to Plant
Quarantine Station (PPO), Panitanki and released the imported consignments without such inspection. It
was also observed by the audit that the Superintendent of Customs, Land Customs Station, Panitanki
wrote to the Asstt. Commissioner of Customs, Naxalbari Division only in December 1998 seeking
instructions in this regard. Due to non-receipt of instructions, the Superintendent of Customs, Land
Customs Station, Panitanki did not refer any consignment of imported plant material to the PPO till July
2000. Inspections by the PPO could commence only from August 2000 after these were referred to him (PPO). It is further stated that non-inspection of agricultural comoodities at Plant Quarantine Station,
Panitanki during the period under report was neither due to negligence nor failure in anyway on the part
of the Plant Protection Officer at Plant Quarantine Station, Panitanki as the Plant Quarantine Officer
neither had any access nor any authority to inspect such consignments unless refered to them by
Customs Department through an official endorsement on the body of the bill of entry/import documents.
No importers or their customs agents approached the Plan Protection Officer, Panitanki with the bills of
entry during the period under reference. It is further mentioned that Customs Officers at L.C.S., Panitanki
did not refer any such consignments in spite of several instructions by their Senior Officers from time to
time.
Opening of Plant Quarantine Station at Panitanki was an essential step towards implementation
of legal/.statutory requirements under DIP Act 1914 and provisions of PFS Order, 1989. Non-inspection
of materials during the period under report was beyond the control of Plant Protection Officer (PPO) as
the competent custom authorities did not refer the plant materials to the PQ Station, Panitanki, for
inspection/release. However, since the inception of the Plant Quarantine Station, Panitanki in September
1987, the issuance of PSCs, which is not linked with the Customs Authorities, has been continuing there
as a major Plant Quarantine activity.
Points of irregularities
3. The Customs authorities were also at fault in releasing the consignments without inspection and
certifications from the PPO.
4. The case calls for investigation both by the Customs authorities and Ministry of Agriculture for
such serious lapses, which, besides causing financial losses, also exposed the country to the risk
of getting infected plant material into the country.
Comments
The Plant Protection Officer or other Plant Quarantine officials at Panitanki were not a fault. As
Customs authorities did not refer the consignments and released them without being inspected from Plant
Quarantine angle, they are responsible for the lapse on their part, though it was legal binding
responsibility on them to refer the plant/plant materials to Plant Quarantine Station, Panitanki. Further, it
is stated that all possible steps were taken by Plant Quarantine Officials from time to time and the
Customs authorities were approached to get the consignments referred for PQ inspection.
In view of the foregoing facts and also in the light of efforts made by PPO, Panitanki to get the
consignments referred for Plant Quarantine inspection, it is requested that audit paragraphs may kindly
be dropped from the Audit Report with reference to Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture and
Cooperation, Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage and Plant Quarantine Station,
Panitanki.