CAG flags irregularities, excess payments in Swasthya Sathi scheme, anomaliies in post-Cyclone Amphan relief and restoration work

PTI, July 26, 2026, Kolkata: The CAG has flagged serious irregularities in the West Bengal government's post-Cyclone Amphan relief and restoration works, alleging that damage assessments were exaggerated, relief payments were made multiple times to thousands of beneficiaries and assistance was disbursed using beneficiary lists prepared for an earlier cyclone.

In its compliance audit report on post-Amphan relief and restoration works, tabled in the Assembly on Saturday, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said the state's assessment of damages submitted for seeking central assistance was "exaggerated and unrealistically high" and was not supported by adequate evidence of actual losses.

The report was among 28 CAG reports tabled in the Assembly after a gap of four years.

Super cyclonic storm Amphan made landfall on May 20, 2020, affecting 16 districts of West Bengal. The cyclone impacted nearly 60 per cent of the state's population, claimed 99 lives and caused extensive damage to houses, agriculture, fisheries, forests, power infrastructure, irrigation canals, health facilities and industries.

CAG flags excess payments, enrolment anomalies in Swasthya Sathi scheme

The performance audit covered the implementation of the scheme during 2018-19 to 2022-23.

The audit found that the State Nodal Agency (SNA) had neither prepared comprehensive guidelines nor annual action plans for achieving the scheme's objectives as of July 2024.

It said the number of families enrolled under the scheme as of March 2023 was around 10 per cent higher than the number of ration card-holding families in the state as per the Public Distribution System records of August 2023, raising the possibility of benefits reaching ineligible beneficiaries.

The report also noted that the Aadhaar-linking exercise initiated in October 2021 remained incomplete, affecting compliance with verification protocols and increasing the risk of multiple enrolments.

According to the audit, 31 of the 50 private empanelled hospitals test-checked had been assigned higher grades than warranted by their infrastructure, services and sanctioned bed strength.

As a result, these healthcare providers received higher package rates than admissible, leading to excess payments of Rs 14.48 crore.