Audit flags irregularities in Raj’s unemployment allowance scheme

Jaipur: The Rajasthan Principal Accountant General's office has raised concerns about the Mukhyamantri Yuva Sambal Yojana, aimed at providing unemployment allowances.An audit revealed that 41% of beneficiaries are aged 21-25, an age deemed too young for unemployment allowance, as it observed that, at this age, they should be pursuing higher education. The audit observed that the scheme lacked necessary checks and balances, causing the distribution of public funds to ineligible and inappropriate beneficiaries. "It appeared that the public funds have not been used rationally and in an equitable manner," it observed. The audit carried out an overall analysis of data of all beneficiaries since the commencement of the scheme and a detailed examination of documents of 2,500 beneficiaries. It stated that the scheme, which was introduced in June 2019, incurred an expenditure of Rs 3,210 crore from 2019-2020 to 2024-25, covering 6.76 lakh beneficiaries. The report criticised the first-in-first-out beneficiary selection method, noting that older applicants should receive priority. "The FIFO system for providing such kind of benefits is not practical and appreciated for transparency," it stated. Additional issues highlighted include incorrect educational qualification entries, payments made without necessary documentation, benefits granted to professional degree holders, and unequal distribution across districts, with some beneficiaries not receiving support for the full two-year term. There was also a lack of appropriate publicity of the scheme and inaccuracies in the feeding of data. The audit also flagged issues related to non-compliance with the prescribed cut-off date. "The portal for making applications was to remain open from April 1 to June 30 every year. However, the audit observed that the applications were entertained throughout the year, overruling the cut-off date prescribed in the state," it pointed out. The audit further pointed towards the inclusion of fraudulent beneficiaries with unjustified years of birth, and in some cases, the reasons for stopping benefits were not available on the portal of the Department of Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship. It stated that skewed distribution of benefits was observed as 53% (Rs 1699.9 crore) of total expenditure was incurred in 7 districts only, while 42% (Rs 1350.3 crore) of total expenditure was incurred in 19 districts. In the remaining 7 districts, 5% (Rs 160.5 crore) of total expenditure was incurred. The audit suggested that a certain time period of registration with the Employment Exchange was required to be prescribed so that the seriousness of the applicant could be examined. Under the scheme, nearly 1.9 lakh youths are provided unemployment allowance every month. The unemployment allowance amount is Rs 4,500 per month for girls, specially-abled persons, and transgender individuals, and Rs 4,000 per month for boys. Graphics Issues Flagged Non-compliance of prescribed cut-off date Skewed distribution of scheme benefits in districtsLack of proper publicity of schemePayment without uploading required certificatesIncorrect entry of educational qualificationsBenefits not extended for full tenure of 2 years